


Pokemon GO: Spark's Video

by Windryder1



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pokemon, Pokemon GO
Genre: Blanche - Freeform, Blanche has family issues, Candela - Freeform, Gen, Harmony Center is an amazing place, POV: Pokemon, Pikachu - Freeform, Pokemon - Freeform, Pokemon Battle, Pokemon Fanfiction, Pokemon GO - Freeform, Pokemon GO References, Pokemon GO Shenanigans, Pokemon Trainer - Freeform, Professor Willow - Freeform, Spark, Spark is a precious cinnamon roll, Team Instinct, Team Mystic, Team Rocket - Freeform, Team Valor, Trainer Pokemon Bond, daddy willow, harmony center, i put markiplier in this as professor mark maple, you are going to love Zipper after this, you will love his sarcastic ass
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-01
Updated: 2016-10-02
Packaged: 2018-08-08 04:44:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 43,616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7743844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Windryder1/pseuds/Windryder1
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Spark, the leader of Team Instinct, has trouble making a recruitment introduction video.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Food Fight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spark has trouble making an introduction video.

**Chapter 1: FOOD FIGHT**

“Is this recording?” Spark's dark hazel eyes filled up two-thirds of the camera frame. He stuck his tongue out, pulled out both cheeks in a 'bleeeh' gesture, and chuckled at his image playing back to him on the small monitor secured atop the camera. Satisfied that he looked amazing, he stepped back, tugged at the ends of his black leather jacket, and shot the camera his most confident smolder.

“Hey, everybody! I'm Spark, the leader of Team Instinct! You are about to join an epic adventure of friendships, rivalry, and battles! My team, the greatest team in all the lands, knows no bounds! We are boundryless! We have no limits! We are limit-free like sky commas! We are masters of the edge of nowhere! We—!”

“'Masters of the edge of nowhere?'” Candela shifted an unamused gaze away from her laptop, eying his frozen 'finger guns' over-dramatic pose. “Are you serious?”

“Great, thanks, Candela. You ruined a perfectly good take.” Spark scowled.

She paused. “That's debatable.” Finished with this conversation, she crunched on a handful of chips from a bag next to her, idly swept the crumbs to the floor with her fingers, and returned her focus to creating her strategy guide for new team Valor members; 'How to Own Your Rival in Your First Gym Battle.' 

“Why don't you work on that in the common room instead of the kitchen and leave me alone?”

“It's a free kitchen, and Blanche says I leave chips all over the couch.” Her eyes never left the screen. 

“She's not wrong.”

She raised her arms over her head to crack her shoulders. “Why are you recording in here anyway?”

“Because the fridge is in here, and there's left over cold pizza in it from breakfast.”

“The bathroom acoustics are better. Why don't you record in there if you're worried about ambiance?” 

“Because I don't want a toilet in the background! And there's no pizza in the bathroom!” Spark's argument derailed when an idea crashed into his brain. “...Yet.” He grabbed the flat delivery box from the refrigerator. He could get away with throwing a blanket over the porcelain throne, and have his Pikachu sit on it as a distraction. No one would be the wiser. It was perfect. “Zipper!”

A distant “Pika!” answered from across the apartment.

“Don't take pizza into the bathroom.” Worried, Candela got up and snagged the box away from her friend. “That's disgusting.”

Irritated, he swiped it back. “Who made you Goddess of Pie?”

“You, as soon as you mentioned taking this greasy disasterpiece in there.” She tried to take it back, but he wouldn't let go. The tug of war began.

“You didn't even have any!” He pulled back. 

She refused to relinquish the pie. “It's unhealthy!”

“There's pineapple on it! You love pineapple!”

“It's mostly cheese!”

“Cheese is amazing!”

“At least let me get Blanche to write your script!”

“No! She'll turn it into a novel!”

“It's called quality writing!”

“Let go of my box and let me go to the bathroom!”

“No!”

Blanche paused at the entry to the kitchen, sweaty from her workout in the gym, and holding a water bottle loosely in her right hand. Spark's Pikachu stood next to her and both watched the fight. She glanced down to the little Pokemon. “Do you want to break this up, or should I?”

“Piiiiiiika~” The little yellow Pokemon looked from his trainer to the pizza to the brunette and back repeatedly. His worry increased with each second as the real victim in this situation became obvious. He had to do something. Spark had trained him to have heart for the one in the most need. He could not let his trainer down! 

With a battle cry harboring both irritation at the situation, and courage to do what's right, Zipper launched into the battle. His cheeks sparked with just enough power to make his attack effective. “Pi...ka.. CHU!” 

**ZAP!**

The two team leaders hit the floor in a daze, but the pizza box landed smoothly on his upstretched little hands. A perfectly executed rescue. He stuck a victory pose, having saved the victim. 

Both groaned as the shock wore off and they regained control of their limbs.

The contents of the box exuded small rivulets of smoke. Spark took one slice and crunched on it. “Good job, Zipper. Perfectly toasted.”  
The small pikachu grinned in pride of his accomplishment.

Blanche walked up as Candela got to her feet. She noted the camera facing the kitchen corner. “Spark, are you still trying to record that recruitment introduction?” 

“I have to get it right. A first impression is important. It's like a fart; you can't take it back.” 

“Gross.”

“Which is why I offered to help you.” Candela smoothed down her shirt. “You'll look like an idiot if you just say whatever rolls off your brain.”

“Look,” Blanche put herself between the two. Both of her friends could be passionate –Candela the more competitive of the two. If she saw this as a challenge, she would horde the entire project from Spark. “Spark, just be yourself, and if people feel like Instinct is where they want to be--”

“They'll question their life choices afterward.”

“Candela.” Blanche scowled. 

"Fine, fine. ...They can switch teams."

"Still not helping."

“He called an apostrophe a 'sky comma.'”

The grammar nerd in Blanche twitched. “...Sky comma?”

“I don't need help from either of you. Just leave me alone.” And with a dramatic swipe of another burnt slice of pizza and a loud proclamation of, “And they look like floating commas!” he shoved it in his mouth and stormed out. 

His pikachu sent a look of 'he didn't mean it' to the other two team leaders, and followed his trainer. 

Blanche shut off the 'record' button. 

Candela saved her file and closed the laptop. “I'm going after him.”

“Let him go,” Blanche sighed. “It's not going to do any good. He'll come home when he calms down like usual. We can talk this out like rational leaders.”

Candela removed her white jacket and draped it over the kitchen chair. “I'm going to work off my frustrations in the gym. Some of my team members could use a little tough love.”

“Be kind. I just put mine through a strategy test, and they're bitter about losing to Instinct in a practice match.” She waited for the Valor leader to leave before putting away the camera equipment.

Spark was known for making decisions based on his emotions. His over sensitivity had lead him to making rash decisions in the past -- like disturbing that nest of Beedrill to obtain an egg –-and cracking bad jokes like a little brother in the face of defeat, but that also let him be a caring researcher. Somehow, he was able to see things in people and Pokemon that she and Candela couldn't immediately detect. And that, she felt, is what made him a great leader.

That didn't explain why he gave his Pokemon names like 'Cheddarslice' for his Rattata, 'Buttflutters' for his Pigeot, and 'Zipper.' That last one made the least amount of sense for a Pikachu. At least his Jolteon, Ai, seemed normal. He'd caught that Eevee in an indigo dye house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a long time since I've been into Pokemon (a very long time,) so I will make mistakes with details. Thankfully, one of my good friends is a walking Pokedex, so she's helping me fix these inconsistencies as they pop up.  
> Thank you to--- www dot Surfacage dot net ---((this site doesn't like outside links)) for the inspiring comic page about Spark trusting his instincts. :) I appreciate the artist. Go find their stuff. :) 
> 
> Thanks for bearing with me on this, and thanks for reading!  
> Comments are always appreciated. You guys, the readers, are appreciated. ^^


	2. Interviews

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spark interviews members of team Instinct to find out why they joined. It stirs up doubts in his own mind.

**INTERVIEWS**

Spark's fists and jaw clenched as he marched down the stairs from the Team Leader living quarters to the spacious anti-room on the 2nd floor. “You watch, Zipper. I'll make the best introduction video anyone has ever seen in the history of ever. Ever.” 

The large main training center met him with a bustle of activity when he entered the broad second floor hall. Sounds of conversation, skill calls, and attacks filled the atmosphere with life. 

At the very eastern side of the complex was the arena; a round open space the size of a standard basketball court. Three floors encircled it with open balconies that lead to spectator benches. It glistened in the sunlight pouring in from the wide skylight dome lofting high overhead, shining down on the trainers working with their Pokemon in segments of the arena. The Southern half of the floor shimmered a cool ice blue, while the Northern side glimmered a deep crimson, and in the middle, a yellow circle joined the two together. The configuration was meant to represent Mystic, Valor, and Instinct bound together through love of Pokemon. From there, Pokemon trainers could stand on hexagonal bases that would extend from the north and south sides so the battle could ensue. 

The kingdom of Valor, Instinct, and Mystic was truly unique. Bearing three gym leaders in one building, it was slightly larger than the average training center. The nexus of the complex comprised of three staggered levels with rounded edges and right angles, balconies, panes of glass, and a rooftop arboretum for both Trainer and Pokemon relaxation. The main complex contained various rooms for study, research, training, and incubating eggs. The medical Pokemon center and Human clinic was on the first level through the main entry way. 

This gym had yet to see a major battle, though, for it was new. Even the industrial interior carpets held that 'new car' smell, and the furniture was void of scratch marks and gum wads. Though after one month, some had started to show the wear of 'loving' Trainers and their Pokemon. 

Like the gym, the team leaders were new as well, and word of them had barely begun to spread. Spark, Candela, and Blanche all faced their own beasts both personal and public to get to this point. He rarely felt worthy to be called 'Team Leader,' but he was honored to hold that title, and refused to let this opportunity pass without giving it 100% of his ability. In only one month, he'd seen that same determination in his rivals—in both battle and normal home life. Half of the third floor belonged to them, after all, and each had their own living area, but were forced to share one common room and one kitchen. It had to be the architect’s manipulating method to get them to coexist. He was still adapting to living here. However, the open cafeteria had started to become one of his favorite places.

The whole center became the omphalos of the three teams to inspire harmony among rivalry; not create enemies and hostility. It was architecturally beautiful. Thus it bore the name “Harmony Center.”

The Harmony Center glowed with potential to rival the stark headquarters of Team Rocket. 

He strode through the large complex, past trainers for all three teams with his Pikachu keeping up to his long-legged strides. 

“Hey, Leader!” A younger, new member of team Instinct waved to him from a spacious sitting area with a low back sectional that could be shifted to form any number of shapes. These were all over the main congregating areas. Right now, it looked like an unfinished square. “You gotta check out this egg I hatched! It's a Butterfree, and it--” the Trainer's words went right past his captain. “Uh...Leader?”

Another of his teammates stood beside him holding her Eevee. By this time, everyone in the immediate area was watching the Team Instinct leader sulk by under a storm cloud all believed capable of creating its own lightning. 

Spark suddenly stopped, snapped his fingers, and let out an 'aha!' In a flash, his phone was out of his pocket, and the camera tuned in to the two trainers. Since both were only 10 years old, he had to kneel down to get the perfect angle. “Why did you guys decide to join Team Instinct?”

Both froze on the spot. “Um... uh...” the boy's deer-in-the-headlights stare bore through the tiny camera lens. “D-do I...talk now?”

“Just be honest,” Spark urged. “Your name was... Sam, right?”

“Yeah, um.. S-Sam, yeah.” Clearly, the boy was in highly uncomfortable territory. Beads of nervous sweat gathered on his brow despite his dark brown bangs “Well, I, um, I really like the color yellow.” The words spilled out of his mouth like leggos on a waxed linoleum floor. 

“That's it?” Spark arched an eyebrow, and the little Pikachu at his knees tilted his head in agreement. 

“Y-yeah.. Um. S-sorry!” He held his Butterfree tightly, like it would protect him from the camera. 

Aware that he'd probably jumped into this with a little too much power, Spark smiled and reached out to rest his hand over the boy's shoulder. “You hatched a fine Butterfree. Take care of it, and it'll take care of you.” 

His leader's words reassured him through his serious camera shyness. “Th-thanks. I will!”

Meanwhile, the little girl had been staring at him the whole time with big blue eyes. The Eevee in her arms trilled a bark for attention. 

Spark angled the camera to her next. “What about you? You're Ai, right?”

She gulped, turned bright red, and stared at her feet. He knew her name! Her team leader was talking to her! Her! An invisible level 5 newb with a cp 100 Eevee she'd caught two weeks ago as her most powerful Pokemon. The moment he shifted his attention to her, her heart rammed into her ribcage. His eyes, his hazel eyes, they were amazing. His smile was amazing. HE was made of amazing! “I...I...I...” she scrunched her eyes shut and blurted out the first thing to come to mind. “I really like you...re... teaching style!” 

He gave her a supportive thumbs up. “Then I'll try not to let you down.” 

Her jaw slacked in shock that he would say something as audacious as that. “You can't! I mean... you won't! I mean, I'm the one that won't let you down! You're cool, and you have a Jolteon with my name, and you're just amazing!” She buried her face in her Eevee's fur. 

Spark wasn't blind. He could recognize her emotional struggle to contain her crush on him, but that's not all he saw in the awkward redhead. He saw the bravery in her decision to tell him the truth –a trait that could easily let her fit in with Valor—and he saw the caring way she held her Pokemon. That Eevee didn't struggle once. It was perfectly at home in her arms. She trusted it, and it trusted her. 

Her blushing increased when he ruffled her Eevee's ears, tapped the brim of her white hat, and stood. “I'm glad you're on the team.” 

She watched him, unblinking and in awe of how easily he helped his Pikachu up onto his shoulders with such smooth control, he probably didn't even notice the weight. A longing sigh of admiration drifted on invisible hearts from her lips. 

Sam snorted derisively. “A little hero worship, much?”

“Shut up, Sam!” Hot daggers shot from her eyes. “Eevee. Use tackle attack!”

“Wuh!” Sam was pinned to the floor by her Pokemon in seconds. The Butterfree fluttered close by.

Ai folded her arms, satisfied with her victory.

Spark continued through the gym recording various responses from the few members of his team he could find;

“I suck at strategy.”

“Electric Pokemon are awesome!” One boy said while surrounded by Electrodes.

“I flipped a coin.”

“I go with my gut.”

“I just got here. Who are you again?”

“Because the Team Instinct salute is the best!” One boy stabbed the air with his right arm fully extended, and the other angled in front of his face while he lowered his head. Three more people not of team Instinct joined in the Dab just for fun. As did Spark and his Pikachu. Because it was awesome. 

He moved outside to track down the few team members making use of the grounds. The surrounding landscape held as much symmetry as the interior. There were verdant areas of trees, foliage, and a wide soft field for grass and ground types, pools of fresh and salt water sparkled in the sunlight for water types, an area littered with rocks and dirt piles provided perfect terrain for rock and fire types, and a smaller enclosure could let new, young Pokemon live without fear of wandering into the other areas or getting hurt. All were partitioned specifically to ensure the safety of the other areas. 

Two girls training their Bulbasaurs to herd a cluster of Oddish as a 'unity tactic' caught his attention. They were two of his first team members when he came to this gym. He cleared his throat. As soon as they turned around, he clicked 'record' on his phone and asked his question before they could say a word. “Hey, ladies! I was wondering why you two decided to join my team? Answer honestly, aaaand... Action!”

One of the girls –a blond teenager close to his age—folded her arms. “You're asking us now? We're level 18. Did you lose a bet, Spark?”

“Very funny, Cass. I realized I never asked you, so...I'm asking.”

“Kinda sudden,” Korra chuckled. “But, ok.” She gestured lightly to the girl beside her. “Cassy's in it, and she's my best friend, so I had to join.”

“We're a team, you know,” Cassy smiled. “We've been friends since we were kids. It just wouldn't feel right to be on a different team.”

“Although,” Korra tightened her long blue ponytail into her hat, “it would have been fun to be on Mystic and kick your butt with my Charmeleon.”

“Yeah, but we wouldn't have matching outfits,” she pouted. 

“Good point. Want to hold a mock match later? We can work on our techniques. I borrowed one from a Mystic member yesterday.” 

“Sure.”

“I'll wipe the floor with you,” Korra clutched her fist, grinning eagerly. 

“Dream on,” Cassy planted a hand on her hip. 

Spark filmed the whole thing. Sure, it was rivalry among friends, but he could detect no true malice or rage in their words. 

He left the two word-posturing before they could turn on him and give him hell for asking this question he –honestly—should have asked a long time ago. But, he was still new, and so were they. Mistakes were made. 

Spark kept up with a trainer named Markus jogging through each of the areas with two incubators strapped to his back. The sight of him running by had piqued Spark's interest, and so he'd shown his Pikachu how to activate the phone's camera, settled the little guy on his shoulders to record the interview, and joined in the run. 

“Me? Heck, I joined 'cause I love running. Hatching eggs means I get to do what I love every day.”

“You joined my team to hatch eggs and run?” It was a noble cause he could get behind.

“Dude, totally. I completely agree that where you hatch an egg helps to determine what kind of Pokemon it'll be. That's why I run through all of the training areas, or just localize myself to one. I also think that the incubator uses your own energy to hatch the egg, and so the egg gets that energy from you, too. You get out whatever you put into it. That's your theory, right?”

Spark felt like he'd accomplished something, that someone finally understood.

Markus offered a loose salute,“I've got another two kilometers on this 10k baby. See ya!” and picked up his pace. 

That's when Spark realized the other had slowed down so he could keep up. Spark stopped to catch his breath. “You get all that, Zipper?”

“Pikachu!” 

Another of his early team members walking by with her nose in a book caught in his peripheral. One more interview should do it. He jogged over. “Hey, Hitomi!” 

She stopped, pushing her long black hair away from her face where the wind had loosened it. Her bangs cut straight across her forehead. “Leader.”

“I have a question for you, if you don't mind.”

She folded the book, flicked her silver eyes up to the Pikachu with the phone peering down at her, then back to him without flinching. “Anything.”

“Why did you decide to join Team Instinct?” 

Her response was a very serious, stoic yet soft spoken simple response that held the fight of a thousand Charizards. “I must protect you, sunshine child.”

He was unprepared for that level of purposefulness, or the hidden history behind it. “Uh, ...ok, ...cool. That's very ...passionate of you.”

Her eyes bore into him for an uneasy long moment before she turned a 180 and smiled with a slight tilt to her head. She almost looked cute. 

He left her alone after that. “Weird.” But, he did note that she could be purely dedicated, and switch between scary mode to adorable mode. If she could harness that power, she'd confuse her opponents with her unpredictability, and walk away with armloads of battle victories.

He dropped to a bench to rest and replay all the videos. Some people mirrored others responses, while some were completely cryptic, and other superficial. 

He sighed, flopping back on the bench and staring up through rustling leaves of the elm tree beside it. “None of those really feel right. Sure, I know they meant their answers, but still.”

Zipper hopped down to sit behind his head. 

He reached up to scratch his Pikachu's ears. “There has to be something I'm missing. I just can't feel it anymore.”

Zipper's ears twitched in concern for his Trainer. 

Spark's eyes slid closed. “Maybe Candela's right. Maybe I should let Blanche write something for me. Blanche has a genius IQ, right? All of these trainers count on me. I can't come off looking like a complete derpable derplord.” His right hand dangled over the side of the bench. “What's wrong with me, Zipper?”

He felt a bump against his palm, followed by an excited 'Pika!' 

His Pikachu's sudden exuberance made him sit up. “What?” 

“Pika pika pikachu!” Zipper bounced around, punching at an invisible enemy and sparking his cheeks. 

Spark blinked. “You want to fight?” He stood when the little Pokemon tugged at his hand. “Ok, ok. What are you—hey! Zipper!” 

Zipper had taken off in a full run out the front gate. 

Spark followed, hot on his heels. He chased the bouncing yellow Pokemon off onto a side path and up the hill to the edge of the surrounding woods. “Zipper! Wait up!” He didn't know what the little guy was thinking, but he'd had the Pikachu long enough to know there had to be a reason. He had to trust his Pokemon. 

...Unless Zipper had finally had enough of his often immature antics. 

A shock of cold fear speared through his chest. _“Zipper!”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Are you in love with Zipper yet? You will be by the end of this fic. :D


	3. Brave Like Valor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zipper had a plan to help his Trainer all along. But sometimes fights don't turn out the way you expect, and neither does your day.

**BRAVE LIKE VALOR**

“Zipper!” Sticks snapped beneath the rapid impact pulse of Spark's black and orange shoes against the slim dirt trail. Though he ran at the fasted pace he dared, it was just enough to keep the small blur of Zipper's yellow body in sight. If he had Markus' talent, or Candela's strength, this would be easy. His breathing became a fast mantra to each step. Keep up. Keep up. Keep up...

'Don't just keep up, you idiot, catch him!' He could hear Candela now, vigorously giving him constant grief for being so slow. The memory of her voice played in his head. 'He's your Pokemon! Be stronger than that!'

Blanche's calm tone soon followed. 'Think, ahead, Spark. Plan your approach.'

Had he lived with them long enough for the ghosts of their voices to take root in his mind? He'd only coexisted with one other person besides his family, and the same happened then, too. Of course, that other person was his mentor, Professor M., so that made sense. These girls had been his gym mates for only a month.

What was he supposed to do here? He couldn't lose sight of Zipper if the little guy suddenly decided to veer off in a different direction. Both imagined voices were right, though: this was his Pokemon. He knew him. He was strong enough to catch him, and then find out why his buddy decided to blast off into the open range like his tail was on fire.

The crystal glint of the late afternoon sun speckled across a body of water through the trees. To his left lay Yumi lake, and to his right was more forest and field. _The meadows...Nah, he won't go near them. He's not strong against grass types._ He studied the terrain ahead. Logically speaking, Zipper should go left.

Spark prepared himself to pull off some forest, assassin-of-the-green parkour skills, and waited for the right moment.

He pivoted hard to the left and at the exact moment his Pikachu...went right? “How in the—Ah crap! I got it wrong! How?!” His intuition was usually scarey-accurate. Then again, he hadn't felt that familiar 'twang' vibration that lit up the sense to 'GO!'

He shot off the opposite direction as fast as he could, now ignoring any brush. Instead, he plowed through whatever he could without losing time. His careless trample spooked a small cluster of Oddish in a flurry of startled screams as they uprooted and scattered. “Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!” He hopped around them. It wasn't yet night, and he'd awakened them. “Sorry!” He called back.

All of the Oddish scampered off, except for one that watched the Human flee, and tilted its head in curiosity. “Oddish?” Why would a Human apologize for disturbing them? Their kind didn't generally care. How weird. Intrigued, it followed, wandering along the path of crunched leaves left behind in Spark's wake.

Zipper had some serious explaining to do.

He easily cut the distance in half by flanking him. Both burst through a ring of bushes into a small meadow and in one last push of speed, he pounced with outstretched hands. “Aha! Gotchya!”

Except Zipper stopped.

“Wah!” Spark hit the grass and rolled. “Ow,” he sat up, rubbing at a bump on his head. “Zipper,” he glared at the Pikachu, irritated, but glad the little guy had finally taken a break. He stood and brushed himself off, fluffing out his jacket. “Why'd you run off like that?”

“Pika! Pika-pi!” Zipper's black-tipped ears twitched as he animatedly threw punches at the air.

Spark groaned. “I know you want to fight, but couldn't you have picked someone to battle at Harmony? Why'd you have to run out into the middle of 'Buttcrust Nowhere?'”

The Pikachu strengthened his stance, staring into the tall grasses, daring whatever was in them to show itself.

It hit Spark like a brick to the temple. “You want to fight wild Pokemon?”

“Pi.” He replied in a simple response like 'yeah.'

“You realize you'll find a grass type here, right?”

Zipper nodded once, though never took his eyes off the field. That's what he counted on.

“If you're trying to prove something..... Little dude, you suck against grass types.”

Zipper shot him a 'seriously, bro?' eye narrow.

He held up his hands defensively. “Hey, I remember what happened. Don't tell me you don't.” He barely got another word out when Zipper dashed over, jumped up, and pulled the phone from his pocket. He turned on the camera and held it out. “Pika! Pika!”

He took it, confused, then a slow grin creased his face. “Ah hahaha, nice! I don't give you enough credit, buddy.”

Zipper's broad smile and victorious 'Pika!' exuded relief. Finally, his Trainer got the hint.

The rustling of grasses cut him off. Out waddled a small flower Pokemon; a Bellsprout.

“Just one? That'll be too easy.”

As if to defy him, five more Bellsprouts jaunted into the clearing, their yellow bell flowers bobbling like dashboard toys. They halted their progress, mumbled to each other, then set into their own wobbly attack poses. If these intruders were going to crunch down their grass in their meadow, they would pay. “Bellsprout!”

“I stand corrected.” He eyes flicked from the new opponents to his Pokemon, and back.

The phone was tuned in on the scene in seconds with the record light on. “All right. If it's a fight they want, it's a fight they'll get. We're going to show people that Team Instinct can be just as brave as Valor. You're a lot stronger now, Zipper, so these guys should be easy. Go! Use Discharge, shock wave!”

Zipper's cheeks sparked, building up electricity. He bounced forward, then quickly spun and sent that charge out in a low ring that exploded outward. "Ka-chu!" It hit both his enemies and his Trainer, however unlike the enemies, the shock didn't touch Spark. The thick rubber soles of his shoes kept him grounded. It spread around his feet like a harmless water ripple.

“Nice! One on one! Thunderbolt!”

The Bellsprouts cried out, disoriented, but not down. It would take more than that to do enough damage to knock them out. Per his tactic, Zipper ran in quick, sporadic circles, sending discharge after discharge into each Bellsprout individually. As long as they were dazed, they would be easy to pick off one at a time. Repeated charges should do the trick to weaken them.

However, one of the little grass Pokemon picked up on this and stretched out its stick-like feet.

Zipper's speed became his downfall—literally. He face-planted into the dirt, cutting off his attacks. The Bellsprouts all used vine whip to entangle their prey. A drip of poison slid from one of his captors onto his fur. “Chu!”

“Zipper! Blast 'em!”

Zipper let the electricity build, and released it through the vines. “Pika...CHU!”

All six Bellsprouts shot backward, shocked and twitching. They stumbled around, into each other, and fell. The multiple attacks and final shot had done the trick. Defeated sounds murmured from their lips.

Spark hurried over. “One, two, three, you're out!” He hit the ground with his gloved hand each time as though he were the referee in a wrestling match, then gently took his Pikachu's arm and held it up. “I call Zipper the undisputed king of Awesome-sauce!”

Zipper wobbled slightly from the poison attack, and gave a victory salute—the infamous Team Instinct dab.

“I think we got some good footage of bravery. Good job, buddy. That was amazeballs.”

“Pika.” Zipper's chest puffed out in pride.

“To be honest,” Spark crouched down to ruffle his ears. That dread from earlier had completely given way to relief. “When you ran off, I thought you'd become...”

"Pi?" Zipper tilted his head to the side as if to say, 'become what?'

Spark paused, then smiled. It was in the past, and he'd been wrong—recently about a lot of things—but at least he didn't have to worry about his friend abandoning him on whim. “Nothing.” He held out his hand. “C'mon. Let's get out of here before something bigger shows up. We'll hit the lake and show 'em some real serious strategy that'll have Blanche green with envy.”

He was done with grass Pokemon for now. Zipper took his place on Spark's shoulder facing backwards, balancing easily through years of practice when his Trainer stood. He relaxed, but only for a moment. Apparently, that's all this meadow would allow. A new sense of fear heckled his fur.

Spark noticed this from the corner of his eye. “What's wrong?”

“P-p-p-p... piiiikkkaaaa~”

His danger sense went off. Even though he didn't have eyes in the back of his head, he could easily tell that something massive, formidable, and menacing breathed down his neck. “Something bigger just got here...didn't it.”

Zipper nodded slowly with a pathetic, “Pika” response.

His right foot scooted to the side slowly as his gaze drifted to the fainted Bellsprouts. _Wait... Bellsprouts... That means possibly Weepinbells, ...and that means..._

Adrenaline shot through him. His eyes and head turned first to get a view of the new threat before his body followed. When it did, he was sorry he'd ever turned around.

Looming taller than himself, and harboring a death-glare of impending doom from the blanched angry eyes beneath it's gaping maw, towered the full evolution of the knee-high flower Pokemon at his feet. Its bulbous yellow speckled body easily dwarfed his own width. He'd never seen one that big. They were normally a couple of inches shorter than him.

Unfortunately, his mad dash through the bushes had awakened and angered another snoozing denizen hidden in tall brush. And this one was older and larger, and out for revenge.

He swallowed hard. “We're borked.”

The large Victreebell let out a shriek. “Victreeeeeeee!”

Spark cringed in pain and covered his ears. He stumbled back, careful to not step on the Bellsprouts' twitching stick-limbs. The giant Victreebell didn't seem to care. It gurgled up a ball of poison and spat it out at its new prey.

He quickly scooped up the nearest Bellsprout in danger and barely dodged. He set it back in the grass away from harm, where it moaned, returning to consciousness.

Zipper's pink cheeks sparked, and he readied himself to attack, but Spark grabbed hold of his Pokemon before that could happen. “Bad idea!” He turned to run, getting a few steps away from the dizzy Bellsprouts when its thick brown vine whipped around his ankles, pulled them together and yanked him to his face. The phone knocked free from his hand. It was still recording.

Zipper bounced off just in time.

Spark pulled at the vine as it dragged him forward, his heart pounding in fear. He managed to struggle enough to get one foot free. If he could pull the vine loose enough to get his other foot out, he'd be home free. “Zipper!”

“Pika!” Angry, Zipper charged in. No one messes with his Trainer, but him! He gathered power into a massive static charge and let a Thunderbolt fly.

The Victreebell scree'd in pain as rivulets of yellow electricity coursed through it. It was enough to loosen its hold on Spark's left ankle.

Freed, he scrambled to his feet and snatched up his phone. “Zipper!” The little guy wasn't nearby. “Now's not the time to be a hero.” Sure, he was strong, but there was no way he could take out an enemy like this on his own. He spun, and without thinking dove for his Pikachu. “Look out!” He shoved his Pokemon aside, but instantly took over as the Victreebell's target. It slammed the open end of its bell down over him, wedged his body between the two teeth jutting up from its top, and tilted its head up. The leaf at the top slammed shut.

Spark's world darkened. He'd been pulled head over feet into the Victreebell, and only the toes of his shoes barely extended past the teeth. It dipped forward, then back quickly ending that tiny bit of freedom. He was stuck.

 _This is bad. This is very, very bad!_ He shoved at its walls, pushing to get out before this thing decided he'd make a delicious Sparky treat and turn on the dangerous internal water works. The muffled sounds of high pitched Pokemon calls, and the occasional voltage Thunderbolt charge swirling in the liquid bled through. One of them didn't belong to Zipper. Who else was out there? A sense of fatigue began to set in, but it wasn't from the effects of his current confinement. _Zipper is taking damage. I have to get out of here!_ His hand moved to an inner pocket of his jacket that held one single, miniaturized ultra ball. The Pokemon within was his only hope to escape alive. He'd sworn to reserve calling upon it when all other options were exhausted –to be used in the most desperate of times, and this fit the overdue bill for a desperate measure. His fingers wrapped around it, ready to click the release when the Victreebell began swaying in a floppy circular pattern. The liquid around Spark sloshed from the movement. The motion increased. Yup, he was boned. Super, ultra, mega-boned.

He was a muscle twitch away from activating the pokeball when he suddenly jolted forward.

Spark slopped to the ground and rolled. He sat up, shaking the saliva gunk away and looked back. What he saw could easily rank up there with thankful confusion.

A single Oddish had used Chlorophyll to increase its speed, and was running a circle so fast around the full, slowed Victreebell, that the giant Pokemon had literally thrown him up. Why would a random Oddish try to save him?

Angry that its meal was taken from it, The dizzy Victreebell screeched in a final attack, slicing at the Oddish with its leaves.

It flew back, defeated by Razor Leaf, and hit hard close to his side. Spark reacted instantly. He picked it up, ran over, gathered up his tired Pikachu, and bolted away from the dazed enemy into the trees toward the lake. “Run away, run away, run away! Aaaaahhh!”

Spots on his skin started to burn from the liquid, but holding two Pokemon meant he couldn't wipe it away. Thankfully, the need to wash this crap off as quickly as possible overwrote any other aches and pains stabbing for attention. He ran hard for the silver glint of the lake shore.

“Water, water, water, water, water, water, water, water!” His long legs took him across the distance of the last few feet. This disgusting blech-worthy junk was going to leave a mark! He set his two passengers down, tore off his jacket, moved them onto it, and made the world's most perfect dive into the lake. “Cannonball!”

'Sploosh!'

The cooling, instant relief felt like bliss—pure, simple, heavenly bliss. He stayed under, scratching his scalp and rubbing at his arms, face, and neck to get all of the Victreebell's acid off before his need for air took him to the surface. He shuffled back to shore and flopped down next to his jacket and the two fainted Pokemon.

His panted breath quickly became the only sound beyond the brush of the evening wind in the trees.

Did that just really happen? Here he lay in the peaceful solitude of Yumi Lake, when moments ago, he'd been fighting for his life as an entree.

The phone had survived both ordeals. He sat up and turned it so his face filled the frame. He was sure he looked like a drowned Ratatta. “These little guys,” he nodded toward the duo, “just saved my bacon. And then we ran. That's bravery,” He pushed his hair back, though a few bangs slipped forward. “But I think that's enough bravery for one day.” He shut off the phone and let it dangle in his hand with his arms draped across his raised knees. “Oh man. What a newbie mistake. If Professor M. ever finds out about this, … Worse, if Blanche and Candela ever find out about this, they'll heckle me for the rest of my life. Professor M. will just laugh and ask for battle details over pizza.”

Why didn't he realize that Victreebell was in the meadow? He could normally tell when a situation was going to become too dangerous to continue. His instincts never pinged him. Something was definitely wrong, and it almost cost him his life. His radar was broken. No wonder he couldn't even make a simple, “Join my team, bro!” video. He was a team leader and a gym leader, for crying out loud! These beginner mistakes were left behind long ago. Apparently one made it through; the 'don't run off without taking your Pokemon with you' mistake.

Still dripping wet, he scooped up the little Oddish, and rummaged through a pocket in his jacket. He withdrew one small patch of herbal ointment and pealed it free from its protective plastic, then used it to dab the wounds of the little grass Pokemon clean. He'd have to thank Professor Tachikawa for her invention when he got home. These were small and much easier to pack.

The purple Oddish let out a weak sound. First this Human apologized, and now he was playing nurse? There was something different about him that it liked, and it was glad it was able to help.

Spark smiled at the small Pokemon. “Just rest, little guy. I don't have a spare pokeball, but I'll make sure you get help.”

The similarities of this moment mimicked that of an instant a couple of years ago where he'd uttered those exact words to a Pichu. He glanced to Zipper, and set the Oddish back on his jacket. He then repeated the same treatment to his friend's wounds.

Zipper sat up as the potion worked to heal him. He blinked up at his Trainer.

“Feel better?”

“Pika.”

“Good. Thanks, pal. I owe you. And this little Oddish, too. I wonder why it helped me? Wild Pokemon don't tend to do that.”

Spark was his Trainer, friend, and family, and Zipper would have kept attacking to his last breath. He stood, shook away the weariness, and for the sake of victory, let it show in a classic pose.

Spark laughed. “Heck yeah, we won! Low five. If that thing tries to come after us again, we'll 'ring it's bell!' Haha!”

Zipper stared.

“No?”

“Pi.” He shook his head.

They both knew that was one of Professor M.'s bad puns, but Spark chuckled. “Low five anyway? C'mon, don't leave me hangin', little dude.'”

Zipper slapped his palm with a triumphant 'pika!', though a few static charges escaped. He needed to rest, but he was too hyped up from the win.

This didn't get past Spark at all. Most of his clothing contained a thin layer of rubber-like material that was light and felt like cloth, insulating him from electric shocks –for the most part. His gloves were made of this, too, and his jacket and pants were lined with it. Occasionally, Zipper's condensed power would get through, like with the pizza earlier. He was stunned, but not hurt –plus the pizza being expertly toasted was the big win, here. Thankfully, it came in handy when working with his other electric Pokemon, and those belonging to unskilled Trainers. That Pikachu could take full responsibility for his wardrobe being the way it was. Those were days of lessons hard-learned.

Rested, he bundled up the injured Oddish in his jacket, let his Pikachu up onto his shoulder, and started walking along the shore of Yumi Lake back toward the Harmony Center. He had to get home before nightfall, or the other two would send a search party to comb the woods. The last thing he wanted was to let them lord a search and rescue over him. He was already at 'baby brother' status with them enough as it was. This would not help them or anyone else take him seriously.

He could sneak in through the back, and no one would be the wiser.

The calm of nature shattered by the haughty tone of a woman's voice. “Well, well, well. Look what we have here, guys. A water logged twerp alone in the woods?”

Spark stopped. Three people basking in their own glory stood on the rise leading up from the shore into the forest. The one man in her group chuckled, while the other younger girl sent him a cold sharp sneer of superiority. All three wore long buttoned up black and red jackets. Her intention came across clearly, even though all he had was the tone and body language.

“It's a free lake. Who are you?”

The younger girl swept her arm out. “We're the reason you're going to walk home in bruises,” yet her sneer said otherwise. “Bonnie and Clyde never lose.”

Spark's eyes narrowed. That brazen, third-person-referral, pompous attitude could only belong to one team.

All three thrust off their jackets at once, revealing the well known, boxy crimson “R” emblazoned on their black uniform tops.

“Team Rocket,” Spark growled.

“Oh,” the woman brushed her fingers through the low ponytail of her long, white hair. “It seems our reputation precedes us again.”

“What are you doing out here? You don't belong in this forest.”

“And who are you?” Bonnie planted her hands on her hips, “The Forest Police?”

Clyde rolled his eyes.

The woman folded her arms. “This land is beyond the reach of the Harmony Center, so anyone can be out here. Including little worms like you.”

“Our skills were dulled by the inane tasks of catching weak Pokemon today,” the man with short dark hair, Clyde, snuffed. He'd refused to make eye contact with Spark the entire time, thinking the other to be lower than himself. “Defeating you in battle will make our day at least a little meaningful.”

“Yeah,” the smarmy girl sneered. “We were just wandering around and then ran across you.” She chuckled in her high, annoying voice. “Our lucky day.”

Spark didn't believe her. Team Rocket never just 'wandered.' They always had an ulterior motive. “As much as I'd love to take you up on the offer of kicking your butts all the way to Cerulean City, right now this Oddish is my priority.” Spark began to walk away. “Maybe next time.” A small voice in the back of his mind shouted, 'Bad move, you walnut!' But all he had to defend himself with was Zipper, and he was not strong enough in his current state to defeat three members of Team Rocket exuding that much confidence. Both Pokemon had to spend time in Harmony's Pokemon medical center. To save them, he had to escape from this.

The woman's eye twitched. “A-are you walking away from me?” He'd placed a low level Pokemon over her! How dare he! Rage snapped through her mind. “No one walks away from Me!” She removed a pokeball from her belt and held it out. “Prepare for trouble, twerp, and make it double! I, Aurora, will take you down!”

Zipper's cheeks sparked as his little fists clenched. He, Blanche, and Candela were the only ones allowed to call his Trainer a twerp.

Spark held his hand down. “Zipper, no.”

“Zipper?” Clyde laughed. “What a dumb name. If I were that Pikachu, I'd leave you for that reason alone.”

A quick round of callous laughter peppered Spark.

His pride took the hit. “Look, if you want a fight, you've got it. But not here. This Oddish needs help, and I'm getting it to the Center first. After that,” he winked at Aurora. “I'm all yours, baby.”

That disgusted her, but caught her attention, and she finally let herself examine his appearance closely instead of just with her usual, derisive passing glance. “Wait a minute... That messy hair, that pathetic ladies-man smolder... You're that other annoying gym leader from Harmony Center.” Her evil smile widened slightly, betraying hidden motives. “It truly is our lucky day.”

He faced her down, even in her cool anger. “Like you said, I'm a team leader. Do you really want to take me on?”

She snorted. “Your team and your cereal box title are nothing but a joke.”

Fire burned in his chest. “Team Instinct is not a joke!”

“Still,” she continued as though he hadn't spoken a word, “your position is worth something to me. I was just going to defeat you, but now that I know who you are, I will humiliate you and take your Pikachu instead.”

He slid one foot back, ready to fight. “I dare you to try.”

She stepped ahead of her team. That Pikachu of his wasn't powerful enough for her high standards, but it was the Pokemon of a gym leader, and that alone had value. “Judging from your hideous fashion faux pas, it looks like the only Pokemon you have to protect you are your Pikachu and that injured weed in your arms. What kind of team leader leaves his gym without his Pokemon? You must truly be a master of idiocy.”

Again, his pride bled from her verbal lashes. He couldn't risk Zipper's life, and this Oddish was in no condition to fight. He hadn't caught it with a pokeball, so it technically didn't have to follow his commands. But he refused to abandon it, especially in the presence of Team Rocket—the team notorious for abusing innocent Pokemon.

“You're too far away from Harmony Center to call for help.” She and her crew descended the hill to face him on the shore. “Which means you and your Pikachu,” her green eyes shot emerald daggers through her target, “are fair game.” She nodded to her teammates, and the other two responded by readying pokeballs to attack.

Crap. Spark had to think quickly, or this time, he would truly be borked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some noteworthy notes here...  
> 1\. It's been a while since I've been into Pokemon --like, original series and Pokemon Red --so I spent some time researching. One of my friends is my walking Pokedex, so in tribute to her as her OC, Professor Tachikawa. Please bear with me as I brush up on Pokemon knowledge.  
> 2\. Professor M. is in homage to the let's player, Markiplier. He's entertaining, and I am thrilled that he's on Instinct. I couldn't decide on the last name of Maple or Mahogany, so I stuck with M to make it easy.  
> 3\. There's no Bonnie and Clyde in the series yet, and it needs to be done.  
> 4\. The three Team Rocket members are from the short comic strip done by Surfacage via Tumblr. Source for his page here. http://www.surfacage.net/  
> 5\. The Victreebell -- In honor of poor James. It was the only time I felt bad for the guy.


	4. Epic Bad Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spark's bad day doesn't end with the Victreebell.

**EPIC BAD DAY**

“I've got this loser, Aurora. We're near water, and that's my specialty.” Bonnie maximized the pokeball in her hand and flung it into the air. “Go, Shellder!” It popped open with a 'ker-shish!' release of energy. A spiny shell owning a gaping hole in its center materialized between Team Rocket and Spark. Its eyes and tongue were the only visible attributes. The evening sunlight shown from slick water jeweled on its knobby surface. The pokeball returned to her hand. 

The odds of defeating three Pokemon trainers on his own with just one Pikachu were against him in spades. He needed time to find an opportunity to let Zipper escape. This was a battle he would lose, so the next best option would be the most improbable tactic: Stall and Annoyance like a boss. 

“Hold it, hold it!” Spark held out his hand while still protecting the bundled up Oddish. A sudden idea sprang to mind. It was a risk, but he felt it was worth taking. “Aren't you forgetting something?”

“What?” She snapped. She was chomping at the bit to battle. “You want to surrender now without a fight?”  
He continued. “I just noticed you were going to start the battle before saying your motto. Everyone in Team Rocket has one, right? I'm just curious what yours is.”

Clyde scratched his chin. “He has a point. It wouldn't feel the same wiping the floor with him without a true introduction. We'd just be random thugs.”

Bonnie thought out loud. “We haven't said it in a while, come to think of it, and I kind of miss it. It always pumped me up to fight.” She clenched her fists, gritting her teeth.

“Whether you say it or not, we'll beat him anyway.”Aurora gestured nonchalantly to her companions. 

The two eagerly snapped into a dramatic pose with their teammate standing confidently behind them. 

Spark allowed a small victory in as he very slowly scooted his foot back. 

“Prepare for strife!” Bonnie proclaimed.

“And don't think twice.” Clyde stood at her back, gesturing to the sky.

“To ignite the flames of tribulation.”

“To luxuriate in adoration.”

“Our passion conquers the greatest height,”

“Our glory dominates the light.”

“Bonnie.”

“Clyde.”

“Team Rocket dives headfirst into the fray.”

“It's useless to try to run away”

A dust cloud remained as their only audience. 

Bonnie's jaw hit the dirt. “He ran away?!”

Clyde glowered. “Perhaps we should adjust that last part.”

“He tricked us!” Aurora growled. “After him!” She burst between her companions to give chase. How arrogant of her to think that just because he had one Pokemon to command, he didn't posses other weapons. Her eyes narrowed as she drew her own pokeball from her belt. She would not err like that again.

Spark ran hard through the forest with the Oddish, and Zipper at his heels. “That was easier than I thought.” Aurora might hold a physical resemblance to Blanche, but that's where it ended.

“Pika,” his Pikachu agreed. 

Bonnie's anger glued to her attack command. “Shellder! Hydro Pump, now!” 

A jet stream of water shot through the air. 

Both dodged to either side a second before it hammered into the ground. That much force held the potential to injure them both. 

He got to his feet. “Zipper. Let's show her how we handle water Pokemon. Use Quick Attack! Go in for a Thunderbolt!” 

“Chuuuuu!” Zipper stayed true to his name, cutting a jagged path difficult for the Shellder to follow. A powerful electric charge burst from his entire body, snaked across the distance, and slammed into his opponent. 

The Shellder shuddered and dropped to the ground in wavering cries. Its tongue twitched. 

“Good job, buddy. C'mon. We're almost in the clear.” 

A plume of fire exploded directly in his path. 

 

The sudden blaze jarred him to a stop. With his escape cut off, he darted off right, then left, but each directional switch met with another burst of fire. Soon, he was completely enclosed within a ring of flames. 

Aurora nodded to Bonnie, who set her water Pokemon to work dousing the area around the blaze. They wanted to trap him, not burn the whole forest down. Her Arcanine shook its head and growl-purred at an endearing pet of its fluffy cream-colored ruff by its Trainer. She strode forward. “Fool me once, Spark, shame on you. Fool me twice,--well, I never learned the rest of that saying, because that's never happened.” 

Zipper's right front leg scooted forward as he crouched down, ready to fight. His cheeks sparked. “Pika... CHU!” A bolt ignited the air straight for the Arcanine. 

It dodged, cut sharply left, and used Flamethrower to cut a hole through the wall. The attack knocked the Pikachu off balance just long enough for the K-9 to body slam it. 

“Cha!” Zipper rolled across the ground, stopping a couple of feet from the rim of flames. A bruise colored his side. 

“Zipper!” Spark quickly crossed the short distance and rested his hand gently on his friend's fur. Worry filled his eyes and voice. “Are you ok?”  
Zipper got to all fours, and gave him a nod. 

That worry flashed to anger at their attackers. “You'll regret hurting my Pikachu, Evil Blanche,” he growled. 

“Evil Blanche?” Her eyes narrowed to the grinding of her teeth. He'd struck a nerve. “Clyde.” Aurora snapped the next assault by simply uttering his name. 

Clyde tossed the small red and white sphere into the air. “Go, Koffing!” 

Per the other two Pokemon, this one's energy burst from the ball to form into a floating chunk of rock bearing a skull and crossbones marking. It's putrid purple body matched the sickly fumes puffing from orifices pock marking it like sores. “Koffing!” At a motion from its trainer, the miniscule puffs expelled a steady stream of Poison Gas at the three within the flames. 

Spark coughed hard to clear the gas from his lungs. Its potency seemed to permeate his skin straight through to burn his chest. He dropped to his knees, gasping for clean air. True to its nature, the poison began to tingle through to his extremities, making the tips of his fingers and toes buzz, and his head swim. 

“Fire intensifies the poisons effects,” Aurora. “Take a deep breathe.” 

Spark fell forward, dropping the Oddish. “Zipper.” he whispered, “... Oddish... Run. Warn...Harmony.” 

Zipper guarded his friend, shaking his head in defiance. He would never leave him behind. Despite the dizziness and coughing the poisoned gas wracked through him, he remained. “Pi...pika..” he panted, “Chu!” A strong thunder shock expelled at Koffing. 

It writhed in the air, crying out. Rivulets of smoke curled up from its charred exterior. 

“Brave, yet stupid,” Aurora chided. “Like Trainer, like Pokemon.” 

Spark collapsed, too dizzy to get up. His equilibrium felt like it reversed itself. 

The flames died down, leaving a ring of ashen earth around their victims.

Clyde held out the pokeball to his poison type. “Return.” The energy wrapped around Koffing and pulled it back into the pokeball, which he replaced on his belt, and drew one more. “And now for your Pikachu. Graveler, Go!” The pokeball burst open. “Rollout!” 

A giant boulder materialized from the sphere. Four arms extended from its side, and two from its core. It growled menacingly as it hit the ground rolling. 

Zipper leaped into the air to dodge, landing away from Spark. He glanced back at his Trainer struggling to get to his jacket, and knew if he could stall for time, the Pokemon in the ultra ball within the inner pocket would turn this battle to their favor in two hits: one hit to the enemy, and their enemy blasting off again. “Chu! Chu! Chu!” Thunder shock after thunder shock slammed into the rock Pokemon. All were ineffective. 

The Graveler took no mind to the hits as it barreled forward, and launched its fists repeatedly. All it needed was one lucky shot. 

Zipper dodged the first few attacks, but even though the Graveler was slower, it managed to land that rare Mega Punch. He screamed as the rock's massive hands snatched him up. He tried to send out another charge in defense, but he was weak, and on the verge of fainting. 

“If that's all you've got, you don't deserve the title of Gym Leader, let alone the added title of Team Leader,” Aurora stepped across the ash ring circling Spark's body. 

Spark fought the poison, reaching for his jacket. His outstretched hand brushed the jacket's lower buckles. “Zipper...” 

The ground near his side suddenly erupted from a small Fire Blast. Though light, it was enough to knock him to the side. 

“I can't let you call Harmony Center. In fact, I'm going to make sure you don't ruin my plans.” She motioned her Arcanine over, and Clyde helped her drape Spark over its orange furred back. “Your Pikachu will aid me perfectly.” The three began walking away. 

“Let...him go...” Spark could feel the poison clearing from his system, but it wasn't happening fast enough. 

“As if I'm giving up my bargaining chip so easily.” She retrieved her jacket from the hill and removed a small phone from its pocket. Her finger tapped a single button, and after a few seconds, she began speaking. “Bring that containment unit to the drop off point on the double, and coordinate the other teams for a strike. Don't tell the boss. I want to start setting my plan into motion immediately. He gave me the resources to do with as I please. I'm taking the initiative and pushing ahead with the agenda.” 

Aurora glanced back the quivering ball of Spark's jacket with the same sympathies one gives to a menial insect. The Pokemon cowering within was a runt, and not worth her time.

Zipper barely managed to squirm in the vice-like grip of the Graveler's hands. He shouted to the only other friendly Pokemon. “Pi! Pik-pika pi! Chu! Pika-chu! Pika! Pika!” 

The Oddish, terrified, blinked at the Pikachu's desperate request to get help from the Humans. It steeled its resolve. It didn't really like their kind, but if more of them at the massive Human gathering center at the edge of the forest were like this one, it had to try. It had to save its new friends regardless of the risk. It feared it would regret this decision, but now wasn't the time to run away. It needed to be as brave as the Human, Spark, and the Pikachu, Zipper. 

The Oddish scampered away toward Harmony Center with the jacket still covering him, bobbed through the brush and dashed out of sight.  
Spark heard the plea and recognized his Pikachu's tone for 'help.' Zipper had told it find help. He saw the Oddish run away under his jacket, and prayed the wild Pokemon would listen. Not only did he love that jacket, but he gravely needed the ultra ball stashed away in it. 

They made the trip back into the forest. Spark's sense of time was just as off balance as the rest of him. He wasn't sure how long it took them to reach the drop-off point Aurora mentioned, but it was long enough that a single truck waited with its engine idling. The small, gaping mouth of a cave entrance provided an ominous back drop to the scene. Two Team Rocket members were waiting next to a single-rider motorcycle, and a two-seater three-wheeler. One of the members clad in the familiar black uniform held a clear cylinder in his arm. They must have had an encampment nearby, which meant these three weren't out in the woods simply to hunt lower level Pokemon. 

Bonnie and Clyde climbed into theirs while Aurora took the cylinder and unlatched the top. The Graveler dropped Zipper carelessly inside. She resealed it. 

“Chu!” Static sparked at his cheeks as he let out a shock. The energy bounced around the confinement, leaving her unharmed. “Chu! Chu!”

The Arcanine bucked Spark off its back into the cave and returned to its pokeball. He managed to get himself to his hands and knees. “Zipper!”  
“Recognize this?” She held up the trapped Pikachu. “It was inspired by an incubator, but modified to withstand the voltage of an electric Pokemon. This prototype just passed the field test.”

“Why are you doing this?” Spark's hand tapped the phone in his pocket, turning on the camera. Though the image was black, it picked up audio without a problem. 

Since the punk of Instinct could do nothing even if he got out of that cave, there was no harm in telling him. “The boss wants Professor Willow's facility for himself. Harmony Center is state of the art, and he craves it. It's my understanding that they have some kind of history—a rivalry perhaps, but I don't really care.” Aurora's face turned cold with ancient hatred. “I have my own reasons.” 

She unhooked two straps coiled against the canister and slung it onto her back. Zipper continued his fight to escape. “Once I defeat the leaders of Mystic and Valor, Harmony Center will be under my control. Without you to complete their triad, their power won't reach full fruition. They will fail. Pathetic as you are, they still need you. That's the only reason why they keep you around.”

Spark snarled. “You lie.”

“You are not as brave as Candela, and you aren't nearly as tactical as Blanche. You are... well I don't know, but as of right now, your stupidity for being in the woods without your Pokemon just made my job easier. I underestimated your ability to adapt, but you're still an idiot.”

“You're playing headgames with me, and it won't work!”

She started walking away.

“Why do you look like Blanche?” Spark blurted out before he could stop himself.

Aurora locked him in her condescending gaze. “Don't you mean, why does Blanche look like me.”

He didn’t mean that at all, but it sure ignited a firework flare of questions. 

“Have fun in the dark,” Bonnie teased. “By the time you manage to get out of there, Harmony will belong to Team Rocket.” 

“I hear it has an amazing cafeteria,” Clyde mused. “And the research labs are high tech. I can't wait to claim them. Oh, the experiments I could run. I'm practically a giddy school girl at the prospect!”

Bonnie slugged him hard in the shoulder. “Be a giddy school girl when we get there, Clyde. I'll buy you a skirt. Just drive,” she barked. 

Spark's cool hit the roof. He stood unsteadily. “Blanche, Candela and the Trainers will never let you take the Center! _I_ won't let you! You'll never get away with this!”

“Oh, so we're going the 'cliché' route, are we? All right,” She pressed her finger to her lips. “What was the proper response to that? Oh yes,” her lips curled slightly in a malicious sneer. “I already have.” She mounted her bike and watched as the Graveler slammed its fists repeatedly into the cave opening. “Looks like Team Rocket wins again, and you lose.” 

Clyde recalled his Pokemon, and the three pealed off into the west, leaving a dust cloud in their wake.

A surge of rocks cascaded down, sending up clouds of dust and dirt and knocking him back. He coughed, staggered to his feet, and stumbled forward. He pound his fists against the new barrier. “You can't do this! Get back here!”

No one answered. He starting pulling at the rocks. The poison was still gradually dissipating, which made his motions sluggish. “Zipper.” He pushed through the need to rest. “I'll get you back, and then I'll make Team Rocket pay.” 

A distant high pitched 'skree!' echoed up from the black depths of the cave. Barely any light filtered through the blockade. He knew that sound, and if he was right, it wasn't made by just one Pokemon. 

“Zubats,” he muttered. “Oh man. I really want to know what kind of karma I'm paying off today.” 

* * * *  
Later that evening, at the Harmony Center...

Professor Willow scrutinized his opponent. She was cool, he noted, she didn't sweat, and she had no tells that he could decipher. Her type always had a back up plan for her back up plan. Did she posses what he needed to win, or would his shot in the dark strike the emptiness of defeat? 

The sun began to set in the west. This fight took them to the soft breezes of the 2nd floor cafeteria’s veranda. This was the time to put it all on the line. This was it! The moment of truth! He readied his attack, and with mighty confidence, entered the battlefield. “Do you have any sevens?”

Blanche scanned the cards in her hand. The backings of the deck bore the red image of a Magicarp. She moved one card next to two, then another, then simply flicked her eyes to him. “I have two.” She held them over. 

“Yes!” He slapped four of them face up on the table. Although his collection of numerical sets was still less than hers, at least he was making progress. Playing any card game with her was like trying to diffuse a time bomb wired with monochromatic cables.

“You may just win this time, Professor.”

“Yup. This might be my day,” He smiled. _You're impossible to read. I've been keeping up by sheer fortune alone._

“My turn,” Blanche held out her hand. “I'll take your—sorry. Do you have any threes?”

He sighed and surrendered the one in his hand. His hopes for victory evaporated when she placed the collection on the table. “How did you know I had that one?”

“I simply extrapolated the cards from my hand, and my side of the table against yours, took the remaining possibilities, and narrowed it down to an educated guess based on the cards that have already been revealed during each 'Go Fish.' 

“You're a real card shark, you know that?”

“I could have easily been wrong,” she smile slightly, “though I was fairly certain I wasn't.” 

He chuckled. “It looks like today won't be my day in the sun after all. Well, I'm not giving up without a fight. Do you have any--"

A sudden shrill scream shattered the atmosphere. Both abandoned the card game and rushed to the railing looking out to the front of the complex. They could make out a black floppy blob waddling through the gate.

“Wah!” Ai's hair stood on end. “Ghost Pokemon!” Her small legs couldn't carry her fast enough into the first level lounge near the Pokemon center.

“Ghost Pokemon?!” The eager voice of an excited researcher exploded from behind the glass windows of the room next door. And soon, so did she. A small flock of Pidgies burst out after her. “Where?! Gimme gimme gimme!” 

Ken, her assistant popped his head out the door, stunned and curious at her sudden change in demeanor. She'd been professional to the young Trainer trading in all of those Pidgies for experience points seconds before. He sighed in relief. They'd flown out the door, so at least it was no longer his job to set them free in the fields out back.

Professor Tachikawa stampeded through the groups of Trainers clad in red, yellow, and blue, launched herself out the door, down the front steps, and into the main yard. Her focus zeroed in on the black and yellow jacket meandering from side to side in a drunkenly motion. Perhaps a Ghost Pokemon really did simply wander in through the front door. How amazing!

“Ahha!” She pulled the jacket free to reveal...

“Oddish!” it's little voice quivered. It trembled in fear, and hated that it couldn't bury itself in the ground due to the fact that it stood on a paved path. But it had to stay. It couldn't run no matter how much it wanted to. “Odd-odd-odd-odd.....” it stammered.

She blinked. “An Oddish? Awe. You got my hopes up, little one. What are you doing with Spark's sense of style?”

“Professor!” Candela, Blanche, and Professor Willow ran out to meet with her. A small crowd of curious Trainers had gathered, and even Ai returned. Candela reached out to take the jacket. “This is Spark's jacket. Where did it get this?” She looked down at the small Pokemon. “Where's Spark?”

“Oddish! Oddish!” It bounced back and forth, it's leaves dipping with each hop. “Oddish!”

“It's a wild Oddish,” Professor Willow said. “It shouldn't have come anywhere near us, but here it is, and alone at that. This is completely out of the norm for its behavior.”

“It looks like it barely got out of a fight with its skin intact,” Candela crouched down to examine it closely. “These wounds were tended to.” She dug through the jacket's pockets and found the wrappers from the herbal patches. “And it was Spark who did it. These are from the patches you guys developed.” She clenched her fist, crinkling the plastic. “I told him he would get hurt one of these days.”

“Spark is known for reacting when he feels the need,” Blanche added, with a touch of endearment. “He likely found this injured Pokemon and cared for it without regard for himself.”

Professor Tachikawa knelt down. She watched it carefully, listened to its frantic fast speech, and noted its movements. “It's frightened, but it considers the one who helped it a friend.”

Ai leaned over next to her. “So, it came to us for help because our leader healed it? Poor little guy.” She reached out for it, and held on when it fell over into her lap. She pet its leaves. “It looks exhausted.” 

“Oddish,” it drew out the sound in a weary breath. 

“Good job, Oddish. You're brave. Don't worry. We'll get you fixed up.” Ai and Professor Willow took it inside for some medical attention.

Professor Tachikawa stood, brushing the dust off her skirt. “If it got here on its own, then Spark was attacked, and by the way this little guy is acting, it wasn't from another Pokemon.” 

That meant they had a people problem. Without more details, it could be anyone from Team Rocket to a poacher, to a bunch of local arrogant show-offs looking to pick a fight.

“If Spark and Zipper are out there on their own,” Blanche slipped the jacket from Candela's hand, turned it lining-side out, and removed the miniaturized ultra ball from the left inner pocket. Her gaze drifted east to the forest, “Then they're in serious trouble.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for staying with me on this journey! It took me longer to write this chapter because of 3 reasons: work, Pokemon research, and watching the movies. I've had to seriously buckle down to study the Pokemon world. Thanks to my walking Pokedex and battle checker, I think I was able to put out a good chapter. :) 
> 
> Notes: http://www.surfacage.net/tagged/pokemon  
> Team Rocket: Based on the fan made AU comic by surfacage found here. www.surfacage.net /tagged/ pokemon (remove the spaces. This site is dumb for not letting me post the link for proper inspiration credit.)  
> Professor Yumiko Tachikawa: -- my friend's OC. In thanks for her help, I've added her character to this story.


	5. Moment of Chaos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Without the element of Lightning, Water and Fire surge in discord.  
> Harmony Center falls under attack by Team Rocket.

**Chapter 5: MOMENT OF CHAOS**

Candela marched back into the complex. Each click of her white shoes burned the lava of her rage into the floor. “I'm going after him.”

“I'm going with you.” Blanche said. She and Professor Tachikawa caught up to her in the lobby. “He's a gym leader and a team leader. He should have never run off without his Pokemon. He knows better than that.”

“That's why he's getting a good swift kick to the face as soon as we get him back.”

“Normally, I don't advocate violence among team members, but in this case, I may let it slide.”

The two leaders hurried up the stairs to their apartment on the third floor to get ready for a two man rescue mission. 

Professor Tachikawa stared back outside where life returned to normal. Something about that Oddish didn't feel complete to her. It knew more, but it was too injured and scattered to clearly convey that information. In order to learn the truth, it needed to be calmed down and healed. Goal in mind, she moved quickly into the heart of the first floor to the Pokemon and Human medical center. Hopefully, Nurse Joy and her Chansey had healed it enough to give her some answers.

Blanche and Candela retreated to their rooms to gear up. Each clicked on their own belt bearing the pokeballs of their teams. Candela combed her short dark hair away from her eyes with her fingers and left her personal living area to the common room where Blanche was slipping on her shoes. 

Blanche watched her continue past without slowing. “Where are you going?”

“To get his Pokemon. If I'm going to cram an anti-stupidity lesson down this throat, it'll be in a fair fight.” She continued down the hall to the room at the end where Spark called 'home.' The three never entered the others' personal space out of respect for privacy, but the item she needed lay beyond that door. 

“Don't you mean, he'll need them if you encounter the ones who attacked him?”

“...That, too. If I'm not back in five minutes, tell my team to avenge me.” She took a deep breath, and barged in.

Blanche waited in tense silence. She glanced to her watch. If Candela was serious, she had one minute left.

Seconds later, Candela emerged, and shut the door. A black belt harboring five pokeballs dangled from her hand. As she'd assumed, she'd found it on a table near his bed. Now she knew the three of them kept their Pokemon close by while they slept. She faced her slim friend with all seriousness. “Don't go in there unless you absolutely have no choice.”

Blanche eyed the hall with disgust, as though a slimy creature would ooze out from under the door at any second. “Is it that bad?” Spark always smelled clean, and kept up with good hygiene, which made the image of his living area being a pig stye a shock. “Should we call a cleaning service for his room, too?”

“Believe it or not, it's moderately normal. Just a few empty incubators lying around.” Likely he was working to improve them or fix them. The open notebook on the floor with scribblings reaffirmed that theory.

“So, your room still carries the 'Supreme Slob' achievement award.”

She clicked his belt around her waist above her own for ease of travel. “like he could ever defeat me. He's nowhere near my league, though it looks like he tried.” All three knew that despite everything being piled in specific places around her personal work out gear, her room resembled the aftermath of a tornadic wind strike. 

The white-haired leader slumped slightly. “I still can't fathom how you can live like that and be proud of it.” She stood and adjusted her coat. “If his room is ok, that doesn't explain your expression of horror, or your warning.”

“I've...I've never seen so many boxes of Cheez-Bitz and PokeTarts in my life. They're everywhere, Blanche. Everywhere.” she rested both hands on her friend's shoulders, “I think we need to hold an intervention. Spark has a cheese problem—in both food and jokes.”

Blanche exhaled in relief. There was a little hope for their friend after all. They didn't have to worry about a Muk taking over the 3rd floor—at least from that end. Having two people who didn't know how to fold socks in the house would be too much for her. She'd almost had a heart-attack the last time she'd needed to borrow a clean shirt from Candela and was told to dig through pile A or pile B. At least now if the rare occasion came up where she needed something from Spark's room, the neat-nik part of her wouldn't have a compulsion to clean. Given a choice, she'd pick borrowing a shirt next time from Spark if only to avoid Candela's labyrinth of clothing, books, paper, and exercise equipment.

Wasting no more precious time, they rushed back to the lobby. 

“Stop!”

Professor Tachikawa's urgent voice roped them both before they could exit the sliding doors. 

She jogged up to them with Professor Willow beside her. Ai, and her friend, Sam, had been in the medical center with the Oddish, and followed out of curiosity. The Oddish remained calm in Ai's arms, fully healed. 

“Don't worry.” Blanche assured her. “He can't be too far. We'll be back in time for dinner.” 

“The Trainers will be fine for a couple of hours. Come on, Blanche,” Candela's impatience soaked through. “We're burning daylight.”

“I don't think you should leave,” The professor's heart raced from dread as she dug a small gray datapad from her pocket and held it out to the two young leaders. “Because of this.” 

Professor Willow interjected. “Professor Tachikawa was able to obtain that image from the Oddish. Her Kadabra used its psychic ability to aid in recording that wavelength into the database, and this is the image it created.”

Candela accepted it. The picture on the screen was fuzzy, from an upward angle, and mostly shadow, but she could make out three people walking away from the source of this photo. Their faces weren't visible. The silhouette of a person draped over the back of an Arcanine was off to the right along with the figure of a Graveler restraining something with a jagged tail. She focused on their clothing. It was barely discernible, but there was no mistaking the red emblem on the shirt of the shortest person. 

“Team Rocket,” she snarled. 

“So, they're the ones who attacked Spark,” Blanche took the datapad. “What are they doing out there?” She couldn't make out their faces, but her pulse began to race. The forest beyond Harmony Center's land was for everyone, so spotting campers, hikers, or traveling Pokemon trainers could be expected. However, this didn't feel right. They were out there for another reason, and Spark was unlucky enough to interrupt it. Team Rocket rarely did anything by accident.

Candela's agenda shifted from a basic 'what were you thinking?' Pokemon battle to all out war with the enemy team. She marched outside. “They could be holding a karaoke marshmallow roast in their underwear for all I care.” Her gold eyes narrowed, boring their own invisible lasers straight through the open front gate. “But they hurt Spark and Zipper. That just earned themselves a fight they'll never forget.“

“Stop, Candela!” Blanched called. 

The brunette had reached the middle of the sidewalk. 

“The professor's right.” Her long ice-blue coat trailed behind her as she tightened her hold on the black and yellow leather jacket. “We can't leave Harmony Center unprotected.”

“It's a top line facility. It'll be fine. C'mon. We're—“

“I'm not going, and neither should you.”

She stared in disbelief at her friend, confused and now frustrated at the indecision. “Excuse me? You were on board with this a minute ago! What happened to taking action?”

“Trust me, I have a feeling leaving is not a good idea. We need to come up with a plan to protect the Center and find Spark. If they defeated him, they likely know who he is and they'll come here.” 

“They wouldn't dare be brave enough to attack this place. Spark could be hurt out there!” she gestured broadly to the darkening forest to the east, “and you'd rather cool your heels making plans than go looking for him?! I thought you were his friend!” 

“I am his friend,” she cut her words right back. “But I am also a leader of this gym, and a Team leader. I have a responsibility to my team members. Spark would do the sa—“

“No, he wouldn't! He'd run out there without a plan to save his friend, because that's exactly what he did earlier!”

“And that's why we're in this situation now!” Blanche stared her down. “We need a plan!”

She burned with a desire to charge into the woods and battle anyone in her way. “I have a plan. It's called, 'Save Our Friends.' If you don't want any part in it, then stay here. My Pokemon and I will bring them back on our own.”

“Candela, I said stop!” Blanche's hand suddenly flashed out and latched onto the other's arm. 

Candela's eyebrows raised. The team leader of Mystic rarely ever lost her composure. This time, she let off a rare cold anger vibe, but all that did was fuel Candela's need to challenge the order. Getting this enraged during a simple argument was highly unlike them. It set off a warning bell in her mind that something wasn't right, but she ignored it. “Barking at people is my job. What's gotten into you?” She tore her arm from the other's grip. 

“Let me ask you that same question. You're being more irrational than usual. Why won't you listen to reason?” 

“I'm being decisive!” Candela shot back. “Team Rocket or not, it's a random group. Valor never walks away from a fight, and they started one. I certainly will not lose to them... or you.” She held out her hand. “Give me the jacket.”

She clutched it tightly. “Make me.”

Candela swished her hair to the side, curling her lip slightly in pure defiance. “Are you asking for a fight, Snowflake?” She swiped the jacket from her. 

Blanche flinched at the old nickname the other used to call her when they first met. “We're in this together, or have you forgotten how we even got here?” She hooked her fingers into the leather to take it back. 

“I haven't forgotten anything!”

“Your inability to back down from a confrontation causes nothing but trouble, and I always have to clean up your mess.”

A shard of challenge raked through her. She grabbed the jacket. “At least I can make decisions without consulting an itinerary!”

It became a tug of war with the jacket. The constant back and forth struggle loosed the ultra ball from its pocket. Blanche had forgotten to zip it back up. It bounced to the ground between their feet. “You fight with reckless abandon!”

“You only trust your numbers!” Candela pulled.

“And you trust in brute strength!”

A vein throbbed in Candela's forehead. “We both know how this is going to end! Hand over the jacket and prepare to battle!”

“That's enough!” Professor Willow ran forward to break them up. A surge of energy snapped to life around them, forcing him to keep his distance. The air crackled with gnarled blue and red power. “What the...”

“What's going on?” Sam asked. “What is that?” It was beautiful, but unpredictable and frightening. He was intrigued. He'd never seen anything like it.

Professor Willow still tried to get through. “It's their energy. It's off balance. Their connection to their Legendary Pokemon enhanced it.” 

Ai gasped. Thin threads of yellow electricity leached out of the ultra ball on the ground, feebly attempting to come between them. The two fighting leaders didn't even notice. They could step on it, and whatever Pokemon was inside could be injured. Ignoring the danger, Ai thrust the Oddish at Sam and ran toward them. Her only concern was getting that Pokemon to safety. “Look out!” She scrunched her eyes shut, charging forward with her hand outstretched for the pokeball, and dove through the fight. “Stop!” As soon as her fingers touched the ultra ball, a charge of yellow power converged to a point, lanced out, and sliced the air in one second. Then it disappeared. 

The angry energy neutralized. A soft evening breeze brushed through in its wake. 

Blanche and Candela immediately froze, both still holding onto the jacket—which remained remarkably in one piece—and looked down at the curled up little level 5 Instinct girl protecting the pokeball between them. 

“Stop!” Ai pleaded. “You'll break it! You'll hurt it if you don't stop fighting!” Tears streamed down her face. “Please. You have to stop!”

Sam set the Oddish down and rushed in past the two stunned Professors. He crouched down next to his friend. “You guys are our leaders! You're fighting like you're enemies and you didn't even notice this pokeball! What's wrong with you?”

“Oddish! Oddish!” The bulb pokemon joined them, hopping up and down.

Shame blanketed the leaders of Mystic and Valor. 

“How did they get through?” Professor Willow balked.

“I think it's their love of Pokemon,” Professor Tachikawa speculated, finally able to speak.

“I see,” Willow mused. “Like Spark, their concern was for the Pokemon in danger rather than themselves. They simply acted to save it.” He breathed in relief that the air finally calmed. “The one in that Pokeball sensed that, and used them to become the balancing energy Blanche and Candela lacked, at least for a moment.”

Tachikawa blinked, then smiled. Spark was able to do that daily without really trying. She knew there was more to that kid than a love of Chees-Bits, goofball antics, and hatching eggs. Although, she would admittedly like to try his idea of 'Bowling With Voltorbs'--just not inside like he'd wanted.

Candela calmed down. The young Trainers at their feet held more common sense than they did, and she felt embarrassed for being goaded so easily in public. Years of meditation to control her passionate streak seemed to go out the window for no reason. “What are we doing, Blanche,” she tempered her voice. “We haven't fought like this since back then.”

Blanche thought about the adventure that brought her, Candela, and Spark together. It was one of the most trying, terrifying, yet exhilarating journeys of her life. It was also the major pivotal point in her life. “We were constantly at each others throats before Spark showed up with his stupid joke.”

Sam and Ai blinked, finally standing up. “What joke?” Sam braved. He still wasn't sure if the storm would ensue, but he could get Ai and the pokeball out of there before it did. 

Candela held up the jacket, never taking her eyes off of it as the memories of that day replayed. “What did one left-over say to the other left-over?” 

The two kids looked to each other, then up to the tall leaders. “What?” 

Blanche smiled slightly even though her response was bland. “'Curses, foiled again.'”

The small moment of silence faded from a snort from Sam, and a growing laughter from Ai. Soon, both ten year olds were laughing loudly. “I get it!” Ai covered her mouth with one hand. “Foiled again!” 

“That's a good one!” Sam's eyes teared from mirth. 

Both women rolled their eyes, though said in unison with slight amusement, “Instinct.”

Professor Tachikawa chuckled. She'd have to remember that one.

Candela uncurled her fingers from the jacket, surrendering it to her rival. She should have more control over herself than that, and more faith in her friend. “I'm sorry, Blanche. I shouldn't have said all that.”

“I said some horrible things, too.” She accepted the truce offering. “Can you forgive me?”

“Sure,” Candela wheedled. “If you make dinner for the next week.”

She raised an eyebrow. “I made dinner last week.”

“Then I guess we let Spark order pizza again.” She gestured lazily, glancing away, though waiting for the word-bomb to explode and ensure her victory for decent cuisine.

She sighed in defeat. Her mind needed better fuel to run on than cheese and sausage slices on over-baked crusty bread. And she didn't want to spend another week eating at the cafeteria—even if it was good food. “Deal.”

“I hate to break up a moment,” Professor Willow chimed in, “But you're both right. Blanche, we'll need your genius to coordinate defense of this Center. Candela, go find Spark. Your Arcanine should be able to track his scent.” He rested a hand on their shoulders. “Don't disregard your own strengths. The three of you were chosen to be team leaders for a reason.” He turned to Candela. “Go. We don't know how much time passed since the Oddish escaped.” 

Ai offered up the ultra ball. “What's inside it?”

Candela accepted it and replaced it in the inner pocket. “A very special Pokemon that seems to like you two. Thank you for protecting it.” 

She closed her eyes to a giggle of accomplishment as the Valor leader pat her head. The Oddish bounced around happily at her feet.

The mechanical rumble of truck engines thundered in the distance. Everyone turned their attention to the southern road—the main artery linking the Center to the town. 

Two carrier trucks, a group of motorcycles, and an all terrain transport thundered over the horizon. Dust curled up from the tires as they sped into view at high speed toward the gates. 

“I don't remember any supply deliveries scheduled for today,” Professor Tachikawa noted.

“There aren't any,” her peer answered, though both spoke weakly out of mild hope that the worst case scenario wasn't making its way toward the front door. 

Large red letter 'R's emblazoned on each door and hood shone from the white and black exteriors; the harbingers of destruction. 

Exclamations from the Trainers perforated the air with shouts of 'Team Rocket?' and 'What are they doing here?' mingled in with vows from the red-clad Valor members rallying their fellow teammates. 

“I guess that answers our time question,” Professor Willow stated.

“Yeah,” Sam gulped. “We're out of it.” 

“Everyone, get inside!” Blanche ordered. Those in earshot began running for the entrance, and telling others to follow. 

Fearow and Spearow unleashed by their Team Rocket masters burst into the sky with battle cries, carrying orders to attack when in range. Ahead of them, dozens of Magnemites surged forward in a menacing, magnetic, metal cloud. They latched themselves in a grid pattern along the top of the wall surrounding the perimeter. Electricity snaked through the connected Pokemon, creating an electric fence. Only the gate remained untouched. The vehicles that skid to a halt and poured out Team Rocket members were intimidating enough to keep anyone from running.

Commands flew from the Mystic, Valor, and Instinct Trainers. “Go! Wartortle! Water Gun, now!”

“You, too, Seadra! Go! Use Bubble Beam to slow them down!”

“Beedrill!,” A valor team member tossed his pokeball into the air, calling the Pokemon within into action. “Twin needle!” 

The Beedrill's attack struck a Doduo from Team Rocket, knocking it into the ground. A Fury Attack from one of the opposing team's Fearow blasted it into the wall. It's Trainer, stunned, ran to retrieve it. 

A young level 2 didn't want to miss out of this fight! He cambered back his arm and threw the only Pokemon on him into the fight with gusto. “Magicarp! Go!”

The mud-red fish Pokemon flopped on the grass. “Magicarp carp. Carp, Magicarp.”

A more experienced Mystic team member stared as she ran by behind her Tangela. Her eye twitched. “Are you kidding me?”

“Magicarp and I have been training hard! It'll be a Gyarados someday! Magicarp, use—!” He began, only to have a Team Rocket Tangela pummeled it senseless with Vine Whip. “ Wah!” The young Trainer's jaw hit the dirt. “No! Magicarp, Why?! Your combat power is a hundred! Return!” A bright beam of light lanced around the fainted Pokemon, drawing back into the shelter of the ball. 

“What are you doing, newb?!” Markus, the Instinct member, seized the kids arm. “This is no time to play around! Get inside with other level 10's and under! Let the big kids handle these guys!” 

“But I—!”

Markus pushed down the brim of the kid's hat. “Look, you're doing great with that Magicarp. Don't give up on it, but you have to learn to pick your battles. Sometimes you have to run away to protect your Pokemon and yourself.”

He watched as Markus released his Pokemon into battle.

“Sandshrew! Go!”

The Tangela bound its vines around the new opponent. 

“Nice try.” Markus pushed his hand through his dark curly hair in confidence, then reached out to his companion. “Sandshrew! Use Rapid Spin! Now use Fury Swipes!”

The kid watched in awe as the Sandshrew's yellow body spun itself out of the hold, then launched into a blur of claws. “Whoa...” 

“Go, now! Get inside!” Markus demanded. “Use that bravery to protect the others!”

“Yes sir!” The young Trainer scrambled through the doors. The older teen was incredibly brave, but he wore yellow, so he wasn't Valor. He'd though Instinct was just about hatching eggs. Was he wrong? Was all that talk from other Trainers like himself filled with misconceptions? Markus was amazing. 

Flame attacks, water, poison, grass, and air attacks peppered the courtyard, scattering the trainers and their Pokemon.

They'd had enough. Blanche and Candela launched their own Pokemon into the fight. 

“Vaporeon! I choose you!”

“Arcanine! Let's go!”

Both Pokemon emerged, immediately running into the fray. 

Candela loathed admitting when she was wrong, but one of the lessons life taught her was to accept that fact about reality and bite back her pride. This internal battle remained the most difficult to fight. “Blanche, I'm sorry. You were r—“ but her apology was abruptly cut off.

“Yes, yes, I know, I was right. Big surprise. Here,” She shoved the jacket into her friend's arms. “Take this and go find Spark.”

Candela was shocked momentarily, but quickly locked her jaw in determination. She wouldn't fail her friends, her team members, or the Center. “I'll be back as soon as I can. Hold the fort.” She turned, putting on the jacket to make it easier to carry, and called to her Pokemon. “Arcanine!”

The red K-9 howled as it barreled through the enemy for its Trainer. 

Three figures stepped off of their motorcycles on the Team Rocket side, and surveyed the battle field. The tallest gracefully raised her willowy arm into the air, held the pose waiting for the right moment of chaos... And let it fall.

Canons from the backs of the carrier trucks fired large nets over the electrified wall into the courtyard. Some of the Trainers recalled their companions before they could be ensnared. 

“Vaporeon!” Blanche called. “Hydro Pump!” 

Her Vaporeon let a jet of water blast an incoming net away from Candela and her Arcanine. “Go.” Blanche ran to help a Mystic Trainer untangle her Butterfree. 

She had to remind herself she wasn't running from a battle, she was bringing back reinforcements that would help them win their home back. Even if the reinforcements would get their butt kicked after said home was regained. 

The way out the front was blocked, and the Magnemites had electrified the top of the perimeter. She'd have to find her own method out. She reached for the pokeball harboring her Rapidash. It might be able to jump high enough to get her over the fence. Even in a situation as dire as this, she did not was to summon her greatest companion. Talk about drawing too much attention to yourself. If she was going to get out and find Spark, she had to be fast and stealthy about it. A giant flaming bird soaring through the sky was not considered stealthy.

“This way.” A calm voice interrupted. She stared at Hitomi, the cold-serious Instinct member, who showed up out of nowhere. A blast caused by a hyper beam struck nearby and sent is shock wave past her, whipping at her hair and clothes, yet she remained unphased. “There's a way out in sector four. Follow me.” 

“The ground and rock terrain?” Confused, she followed. “I'll take it.” Both hurried through the battle around to the east side of the Center.  
They stopped near a pile of boulders. 

Hitomi unhooked a pokeball from her belt and clicked the release button. “Geodude. Use Earthquake,” she said with the same emotion as before. Her meter rarely hit any extremes. 

The two women and Arcanine jumped as soon as the rock Pokemon struck the ground. To Candela's astonishment, a cluster of Diglett's popped up out of the ground in a flurry of panic cries. A Dugtrio growled at them. “A Diglett colony?”

“I'm sorry,” Hitomi bowed lightly in regret at having to use that move. “Please forgive me.”

It still growled, but seemed to oblige. 

“Can you help Leader Candela find a way out?”

The Dugtrio looked up at them, then nodded all three of its heads. It burrowed underground out of sight.

Candela was, admittedly impressed. “How did you know they were here?”

“They moved in a week ago. It's a small family; only about ten of them. I didn't have to heart to tell anyone, or the Professor might relocate them. I don't want them to go. They are my friends.” She pointed east. “Their tunnel leads to the forest edge.”

“Good idea. You should have joined my team.”

She blinked at the absurdity of the idea. “But then I wouldn't be able to protect the Sunshine Child.” Hitomi answered in solid conviction. 

“Eh...Ok. A little creepy,” Candela said, then smirked in approval. “But I like you. You show initiative.” Though she was weird, Hitomi's act in the middle of dire straits was a level of bravery that would befit a member of Valor. “Tell Blanche I made it out. And be careful.”

Hitomi nodded. “Yes, Leader.” No matter what team they headed, all three deserved the respect of that title. 

Leaving the girl to help her friends, she recalled her Arcanine, then summoned her Flareon. The little Pokemon wagged its bushy tail in happiness to see its Trainer. “Flareon, I need light. Can you help me?”

“Flare!”

She leaned down to whisper, “If you see anything in there with eight legs, burn it with extreme prejudice.”

It nodded. It will protect its beloved Trainer! “Flare! Flare!” Without hesitation, it dove into the hole and strode ahead. She'd given it one job right now, and that was to be the beacon of luminescence, the spearhead of bravery, the source of victory! ...or so it thought. 

Candela waited a few seconds before following. got on her hands and knees, and crawled through the Diglett tunnel under the wall. The minutes ticked by slowly as she followed the light of her Flareon's low level ember pulses. Each one lit the way ahead of them in a flickering orange glow. Occasionally, the heat would rush past her, but she was used to high temperatures. She took solace in knowing those spiders would never see daylight again.

The explosions and sounds of battle muffled through the dirt becoming softer the forest edge where they barely reached her. “Thanks.” 

“Flare!” It smiled, and happily returned to its pokeball. 

Now it was time to hunt. In one swift move and streak of energy, she called her Arcanine. She let it sniff the black jacket she wore –now covered in dirt. Once it got the scent, she straddled the back of her faithful companion and held on to its thick, fluffy ruff. “I trust you. Let's find him and bring him home.” 

* * * *  
Aurora tapped the containment unit against her back, and slid one strap from her shoulder. The unit slumped around to her right and rocked slightly as the exhausted Pikachu trapped within it pressed its paws to the glass. “Want to watch? Here.”

“Take a look at this masterpiece of exquisite spying and plotting. This facility will soon belong to us, Buttons,” Clyde folded his arms proudly. 

Bonnie's palm collided with the back of his head. “It's name is Zipper, you fool.”

Clyde rubbed at the swelling bruise. “Buttons, Snaps, Zipper, who cares? They all close things. And it's still a dumb name.” 

Zipper's eyes glued to the view of his home under siege. He puffed short breathes, tired from trying to escape. This morning had been so bright, so fun. They'd had pizza, and a good chase, and fun times. How could this be happening to his home, his friends...his family? “Pika...” He squeaked softly. 

_Spark..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone! ^^ The fact that this story makes so many people happy is amazing. I love all the comments. They inspire me to write the best story possible. :) Your enthusiasm fuels me, and I eat it up like Cheese-bits! (As usual, things may change with edits in all chapters. :) ) Thanks for sticking with me, and for bearing with my limited knowledge of Pokemon. Fight scenes are the toughest for me to handle, so they take longer to create. :)
> 
> If anyone is going to Anime California, I will be there on Saturday helping a friend out with her "Do's and Don'ts of Fanfiction Writing" panel. Come say hi!


	6. Calm Like Mystic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fears steeped in history resurface for Spark as he fumbles to find a way out of the cave. He meets an unlikely ally and learns to trust in his instincts once more. 
> 
> (Emotions and flashback incoming.)

**Chapter 6: CALM LIKE MYSTIC**

_Zipper..._  
Spark tore at the rocks barricading him inside the cave. Small pebbles loosed from their places clattered against each other at his feet. He yanked at the larger stones, grunting from exertion. _I'm coming for you, buddy. Just hang on._

Slivers of light bled through the cracks. “Almost...there...” His fingers latched around a larger stone. He pressed his foot against a boulder and tugged with all his might. With a loud 'crack!,' it jolted free. He staggered back to avoid it smashing down on his foot. Blessed beams of evening sunlight speared into the blackness. The hole was just big enough for him to fit his arm through. “Yes!” Freedom tempted him a few simple feet away. Craving that need, he ripped more stones from their places until the opening was large enough to allow him through. 

Finally! He could get out, retrieve his jacket, find Team Rocket and Zipper, and show them exactly why they should never have messed with him in the first place. He hauled himself up to climb through when a loud rumble from above vibrated through the rocks, through his core, and through his feet into the ground. A strong sense of 'get the hell out of there!' zapped through his limbs. He obeyed without question. Spark threw himself to the dirt and scrambled away. “Oh no. No, no, no, no!” A second later, more destabilized rocks crashed down from the ceiling in a tumble of boulders that instantly slammed over his only escape route in layer upon layer of impenetrable stone. 

He sat up, coughing in the dust. The dim shadows dissolved into faint memories whispering beside his too-loud breath. “Great,” His shoulders slumped. Once more, he'd made the wrong decision to dig too frantically to escape. He grumbled. “Well, the professor will be proud. It seems I've learned the ability 'Supreme Dimwit.'”

A slight breeze combed through his hair. He looked down the path into the cave. The pitch blackness of the void was so thick, he imagined passing through it would be like walking through tar. If he wanted, he could grab gooey lumps if it in his hands. The thought of being smothered in the absolute absence of light again squeezed his lungs. His breath came in shortened puffs forced past the quickening beat of his heart. 

The cave itself didn't frighten him, nor did the Zubats deep within. He, Spark, the great leader of Team Instinct, feared the dark. Not just any darkness, but complete, encompassing, suffocating black; the kind where he can't tell up from down or left from right.

He inhaled and exhaled slowly. _Breathe, just breathe. It's only darkness._

The distant screech of the Zubats beat his ears. Without his eyesight, his hearing was attempting to take over the lost sense. He cringed. _Get a grip!_ He clutched his head, squeezing his eyes shut to physically force his mind to follow suit. _It's only darkness... it's only darkness..._

_'It's only darkness,'_ the memory of a man's strong voice repeated the first time he'd heard those words. He grit his teeth and let the memory flood his panicked mind. _'Calm down and stop crying. Push the stone above you.' The voice sounded strained._

_He remembered his younger, nine-year-old self sobbing as he pressed his tiny hands against the cold, uneven granite surface. A broad pile of stone debris surrounded him, leaving him with just enough room in a triangular space for him to kneel. If there was any light beyond the ancient blocks, they weren't allowing it to pass. He'd been stuck there for what felt like hours, and his powerful imagination had run wild that entire time. “It's too dark.”_

_'You can do it,' the voice repeated. 'That fear is all in your head. Calm down.' There was a pause, then a command issued by the owner of the voice, “Raichu. I know you're injured, but I need your help one more time. Use Iron Tail.'_

_The stone above his head scratched against the power pounding into it. The corner shattered, allowing his rescuer to reach in and pull him out. The giant stone dropped to the ground. He looked to the tired Raichu, weary and panting for breath. That Pokemon had been in a recent battle and hardly had any energy left._

_'Good job, Raichu. Now rest. Thank you for your help, my friend.' The Pokemon returned to its pokeball, satisfied that Spark was safe._

_Multiple carved stones cracked or shattered filled the old observatory's chamber. Pillars lay off to the side at broken angles—blown up by the Raichu to dig him out. Spark held onto his rescuer as he was carried up the steps to the outside. He'd gone into that chamber filled with curiosity and the need for adventure. The ones he followed were on a private tour given by a local man who said he knew the history and secrets of the ancient facility dedicated to the Orange Archipelago’s legendary Pokemon. It might be too dangerous for children, so Spark was instructed to stay at the hotel. He'd disobeyed and followed, filled with curiosity. There was no way he was going to miss out on an adventure like that just because he was 4.5' tall._

_'Can you tell me what happened?'_

_Spark looked back over the larger man's shoulder, opening his mouth and wanting to answer, but his voice wouldn't work._

_'It was a Pokemon battle, wasn't it,' the man surmised._

_Spark nodded. Two strong fighters attacked each other and caused the chamber to crumble. They were blurs of energy exploding stone outward from blasts. The fight was frightening, but what got to him was the darkness and silence that followed after he'd been trapped. Both Pokemon were gone, as were the people he followed into the structure. He looked around. They were nowhere to be seen._

_“Do you know what they were?”_

_Spark squeaked to answer that he didn't know, but, again, his voice failed him. He'd never seen them before, he would never forget what they looked like._

_The man frowned and shifted his arms to a more secure hold. This boy was so frightened, it rendered him mute._

_'Two other men jogged up to him, both covered in dust and followed by their faithful rock type companions. 'Sir.”_

_'Did you find them?'_

_One of the men shook his head. 'There's nothing down there but crumbled rock. Our Pokemon couldn't dig anymore, or it would destabilize the whole area. We couldn't take the risk just in case they're down there.' He gasped when he caught sight of the child. 'How did he get up here?'_

_The man who carried him answered strongly. 'My Raichu heard him crying. He's one lucky kid.'_

_Spark glanced to the pokeball that held the Raichu hooked to his rescuer's belt._ 'You're the one who saved me.' _he thought. Tears slipped from his eyes._ 'I don't know if you can hear me, but I'm sorry you were hurt...because of me.' 

_'He's a witness. He can tell us what happened.' The strong man said. 'Continue the search.'_

_“Sir, if we can't find them, then--'_

_The larger man's steely sidelong glare shut him up. 'Have some tact, soldier.'_

_The soldier looked to Spark, ashamed of his actions. 'Yes, Lieutenant.'_

_'I'll take him to the medical center, Lieutenant.' A woman in a police uniform reached out for the boy._

_Spark kept his eyes on Hamlin Island's ancient mountain top observatory as he was placed into Officer Jenny's awaiting, open air sport utility vehicle._

_Lieutenant Surge rested his callused hand on the door. The iron command of his tone to his subordinate disappeared completely. 'Be strong, son. We'll find them.'_

_Spark watched him as the vehicle drove away until both his rescuer and the observatory were out of sight. Left alone in the dark for that long had left its imprint on him. His silence held for a very long time after that. He didn't speak for a year._

_That night, the one to pick him up and ultimately take him home to the Kanto region was Lieutenant Surge. One month later, he was sent to live with Professor Maple when Surge realized he was not the right person to train this boy. The two people he'd disobeyed and followed were pronounced missing/lost. Although Surge visited often to help in areas of Spark's training that Professor Maple could not, he never saw his parents again._

He wished he had Zipper, or his Jolteon, or his Legendary –any of his electric Pokemon. Zipper and his Legendary were the only ones who knew of his phobia. During the rough nights, shortly after he'd found Zipper as a Pichu, the little Pokemon would use just enough electrical energy to become a harmless night light until he could fall asleep.

“It's only darkness. It's all in my head.” Spark inhaled deeply, held it, and exhaled his anxiety. He was fine, he wasn't hurt, and he'd felt a breeze earlier, so that meant there had to be another way out within the cave. 

Gathering his courage, he stood, removed the phone from his pocket, and turned on the flashlight. The pinpoint light sucked up the darkness into its white right, though it only lived a few feet from his hand, like it shared his fear. “Let's go, phone. I am calm like Mystic. I am the king of tranquility. I flow like a Psyduck on water; confused but continuous.” 

He held the phone above his head so the pale circle of light encompassed the walls. Loose stones littered the floor, forcing him step cautiously. It was wide enough for two people to walk side by side, though the ceiling loomed a mere two feet above his head. It didn't bother him, but Blanche would have a panic attack in here.

After a while, he came to a fork in the path leading to the left and right. He panned the light between his two options. “Which one?” The breeze drifted out of each, indicative of a mergence along the line, lead to separate exits, or hid the threat of a bottomless pit. Neither of the gaping maws lent a welcoming 'chose me. I don't offer a dead end' sense, but he had to pick one. A, or B. … A...or B...?

A faint 'ping' vibrated in his chest when he looked at option A: right. It was all he had to go by, so he hoped his instinct was correct. He'd learned to listen to that vibe, and even though today carried the weight of bad decisions that cost him his best friend and precious sunlight, he chose A.

Spark moved carefully through the downward twisting tunnel. The breeze continued, but still failed to bring him to the surface. “I'm lost, aren't I.” He groaned. “Why can't I get anything right today?” 

The tactile darkness clawing at him from beyond the flashlight magnified the voices of his memory. 

_'You'll look like an idiot if you just say whatever rolls off your brain,'_ -Candela.

_'Without you to complete their triad, their power won't reach full fruition. They will fail. Pathetic as you are, they still need you. That's the only reason why they keep you around.'_ -Aurora.

He stopped. His heart sank at her final admonition. _'You're just an idiot.'_

The light dipped. Maybe they were right. He screwed up everything. His method for training Pokemon didn't focus on strength, numbers, or even simply hatching eggs. He wasn't brave like Valor, or calm like Mystic. He was... Spark. A dork. His name even kind of rhymed with it. He was a Spork. His intuition had been off lately, which made him a useless dork that failed his best friend. 

He stared ahead into the bleak unknown. It was the observatory on Hamlin Island all over again. He shook his head to break free. Even if he was useless, he wouldn't ever let his friends face hardship alone. They were his family. He grit his teeth and moved forward through the claws of the darkness, pulling himself from their influence. “Zipper. I won't abandon you.”

Moments after the phrase left his lips, the tunnel emptied out into a wide open area.

The cavern arched up fifty feet above his head to fingers of stalactites dripping from the ceiling, providing roosts for the source of the sound he'd heard earlier. 

“Zubats.” At least a hundred of them hung upside down like needles clustered into a pin cushion. Dirt crunched under his feet as he moved forward, trying to be quiet. He wasn't afraid of them, but he didn't exactly want to spook them into a frenzy. 

He hopped down from a row of smooth boulders into a dust patch. The breeze drifted through the cavern carrying the dank, musty smell of stagnant water with it. “Achoo!” He sneezed. 

“Really, universe?” He was trying to be stealthy, and this cave did him no favors.

Startled Zubats dropped at once in a blanket of disoriented shrieks and cries. They swarmed around him, filling his ears with the loud flap of leathery wings. 

“Wah!” He ducked, covering his head, and froze in the center of the screeching maelstrom. These Pokemon were simply startled. They didn't want to hurt him, they were just confused. He held the phone downward in his left hand so the flashlight created a halo around his feet and wouldn't irritate the cave's residents – or reflect off of their dual, sharp teeth, which made him nervous enough. “I'm sorry for bothering you. I'm just trying to find a way out. I won't hurt you.”

One Zubat lingered at face level, sizing him up with its beady eyes. 

“I hate being woken up from a nap, too. Just ask Candela and Blanche. They're my friends. Can you help me find a way out of here?” 

It bobbed up and down, scree'ing in favor. It then flew around him, and back in the swarm. 

“Whew,” he breathed in relief. They weren't going to attack him. Finally, he'd caught a break. One good decision made out of a day of pathetic face-palmers. “Thanks, Zubat.”

Without warning, they let out a high pitched sonar squeal. It lasted mere seconds, then they dispersed. 

“Huh? What was that about?” He would have followed, except they took off in different directions. “Hey, Zubats! Where are you going? If the way is up, I can't fly. At least not on my own.”

The one who'd been brave enough to rebel from the swarm returned, flapping its wings and screeching at something behind him. 

Curious, he turned.

The ground began to rumble. Small pebbles around his feet bounced from the mild vibration as the stones he'd slid down began to arch upward. Had he ears like a Pikachu, they'd be lowered. “I should have picked B.”

An Onix uncurled from the floor. The boulders shaping its serpentine body clunked together with its movement. 

He craned his neck to look straight up into the narrowed angry eyes of the once sleeping giant he'd ignorantly trod over. “Um...” he flashed a sheepish grin beside a weak finger waggle, “Hi.”

It lowered its head to growl down at the small Human.

“Y-You're probably wondering what I'm doing here. M-me, too. I wonder why I end up in a lot of places, like, um, the rooftop, or, uh...random festivals in towns where I just needed to find a bathroom. Heh heh...Eh...” He gulped down his pathetic, fading laughter. “I should stop talking now.”

Spark noticed the rocks that made up its body were void of jagged edges that covered those of other Onix. This one was older, and likely lived here and traveled for many years. That explained why the cave opening was broad enough for him to walk through. This Pokemon had created it. 

Spark's fascination for the evolution of Pokemon through physical and social anthropology took over. The Onix had to bore through hundreds of miles for its body to be worn down to such a smooth, glossy surface like a tumbled river stone. All that time, it managed to avoid capture, and if it did belong to someone, then it either escaped or its former Trainer set it free. Enough years lived in its armor that it was likely older than Professor Willow, and thus it viewed everyone as a kid. “You've been everywhere. You must have seen a lot of pretty amazing stuff. You're kind of like an old man,” he said in appreciation of its history.

The Onix' massive tail slammed against the ground as it turned its full attention to the Human. Dust billowed up in dingy clouds that fogged the limited light ring. 

The impact triggered a 'your life is in danger, you moron' adrenaline shot. “N-not that being an old man is a bad thing. Professor Willow is an old man, and he's pretty cool. You'd like him.” Spark stepped back. “I really should stop talking now.”

An Onix could move incredibly fast in pre-made tunnels, so there was no way he could outrun it. Regardless of the danger of invading the territory of a wild Onix, he ignored the need to run. Instead, the words of his mentor, Professor Maple, surfaced to guide him. 

_'All Pokemon are intelligent and intuitive creatures. Many of them can read your intentions even if you're unsure of yourself. Try to read them in the same way. You'll find Humans and Pokemon are more similar than you think. I also find waffles to be a great placating bribe if you can't. Who doesn’t like waffles? I can't trust anyone who doesn't like waffles. Now I'm hungry. Want some waffles, Sparky?'_

“I do want waffles,” Spark muttered resolutely to himself, though the part he paid attention to was the beginning of his mentor's advice. Normally, it began with humble, ageless wisdom, but always morphed into something completely unrelated and irrelevant to the topic; though he hadn't been wrong about waffles. Zipper loved them. 

He had to trust his instinct that this one could read him. Spark willed his love and respect for Pokemon to shine through. “My name is Spark. I'm trying to get out of here, but I think I'm lost. If you could just point me in the right direction, I'd really appreciate it.”

The Onix towered over him, bellowed at the ceiling, then leveled its broad face at eye level to the fragile Human. It snorted, puffing whiffs of dust around Spark. It knew it could break many of this creature's bones without really trying. 

Spark clenched his fists, aware of the same reality, then relaxed. He pushed all joking aside. “My home and my friends are in trouble. My Pikachu was kidnapped because of me, and I...I couldn't stop the ones who did it. I need to get to them as soon as I can. I'm sorry I don't have any waffles to offer, but... Please, Onix. Will you help me?”

The warm energy exuding from this boy reminded it of sunlight –not so much the brilliance itself, but the color and comfort. It sensed power, and also purity from him. He spoke with honesty and sincerity, with no ill intention in his heart. The Onix had seen much in its long life, and knew that such a light was rare in this world. This one had endured harm from one of his own kind, and that more than the intrusion of its home, angered it.

Spark gasped softly when the Onix gently bumped its broad forehead against his side. A sigh of relief followed a smile. Its action put him at ease. Something unseen inside him clicked back into place and he chuckled lightly at the sense. This was the right path, and his decisions were correct after all. He wasn't broken anymore.

The Onix thundered past him to the center of the chamber, lifted itself up, and roared. It's guttural sound rattled the stalactites, unsettling minor stones and disturbing the Zubats. This cavern was old like its main resident, and could withstand more than that. 

Four Geodudes emerged from the depths beyond Spark's meager light bubble to circle him in answer to the call. The rebel Zubat joined him, flapping around his head like a leather Butterfree. He smiled. “You guys woke up the Onix to help me, didn't you.” 

It spiraled around him in an affirmative screech, then took off out of sight back to the ceiling. 

The Onix tilted its gray head back in the direction Spark had come from, becoming him to follow.

He laughed a little. “All right. Lead the way. I'm right behind you.” The Geodudes flew down the tunnel after it. He brought up the rear, making sure to keep the tail of the Onix and the Geodudes in sight at all times. His phone battery would be dead by the time he got home, but this would be worth it. 

The Onix suddenly stopped without warning. It quickly coiled around him, lowered its head, and enclosed him in its obsidian cage. 

The close space forced him to kneel down. A heartbeat later, he heard rocks clattering harmlessly against its adamant body. The Geodudes were punching their way through the blockade, and the Onix was protecting him from the onslaught of a fresh cave in.

Spark's mind screamed for freedom, but he pushed his fear back and focused on the light reflecting off its surface. The Onix pushed him forward, making its way through while keeping him from being crushed. These Pokemon were helping him. He needed to trust them. Spark turned the light off, pocketed the phone, and went with the flow; like a Psyduck on water. 

* * * *  
Outside, two low tier members of Team Rocket sat on the grass in front of the collapsed entrance playing cards with a pokeball in the middle as the prize. Whatever Pokemon lived inside would go to the winner. 

The young woman yawned. “Why'd we get stuck with babysitting duty? That loser isn't going to make it out of there. He's between a serious rock and a hard place.”

“We're here because you had to let that flock of Spearow escape last week when we were supposed to catch them, Lauren.” her companion palmed a card from the deck between them to add to his hand. “They flew the coup and we got burned.”

“Hey,” she defended. “It's not my fault the net launcher backfired. Someone,” she wheedled, “was supposed to check it that morning and didn't.” 

“I was asleep. You could have done it just as easily.” He crinkled the cards in his hand, and slapped them against the grass. “Haha! Full house. I win.” 

Her jaw dropped. “You cheated! I have all the 10's! Eian, I call Shenannigans!”

Eian turned his nose up in superior victory. “You're just jealous because I am a card genius. Now hand over that pokeball. What's in it? A Charizard? A Hitmonlee? A Gyarados?” His voice hyped higher with each name.

She deftly swiped it away. “'Not yours' is what's in it. Like I'd ever let you cheat me out of this, you numbnuts.” 

“Own up to your defeat. That Pokemon is mine.” Various insults sprang to Eian's mind, but all were cut off by the muted bass percussion of multiple impacts. The ground trembled, unsettling the neatly stacked cards. “Do you hear something?”

“The sound of your pride snapping like a twig?” 

“Not that,” He stood up when it happened once more. “That.”

Her ears tuned in. “An earthquake? Don't worry about it. I'm sure we'll be—”

**Boom!**

The rocks at the entrance suddenly exploded outward. It knocked them off balance. They screamed, scattering the cards as debris rained around them and the small herd of Pokemon poured out. “What's going on?!” Eian cried, hopping around to avoid the bombs. “Mommy!”

Spark stood up as the Onix uncurled. “Thank you.” He patted it. “I won't forget this. I owe you one, old man.” 

A amicable purr-growl rumbled from its throat. It recognized that the boy used the nomenclature as a term of endearment, slightly amused. It snorted in exasperation akin to someone rolling their eyes and saying, 'Hmph. Kids.' 

He smiled as he took off running. “I'll come back with waffles!” he waved. “Extra buttery!” 

“Huh? Hey, it's the twerp!” Infuriated that the team leader escaped, Lauren snarled, ready to throw the pokeball. “Scyther! After hi—“

The old Onix rose up a few feet away from her to block Spark's escape route. The Geodudes joined in. They made it very clear in expression and tone not to pursue that Human.

The two Team Rocket members coward against each other. Even with their own Pokemon, they probably wouldn't get out unscathed. And 'unscathed' was exactly how they preferred things.

Her partner gulped. “W-We should radio the boss—” 

Two Geodudes broke ranks and slammed down on the truck, crushing the engine. Mocking laughter scraped from their gravely voices as they zoomed away. Satisfied that the blonde Human was safe, the Onix lazily moved back into its cave. If it could speak the Human's language, it would have grumbled an irritated old curmudgeon's curse of 'get off my lawn.'

Eian and Lauren remained frozen several seconds after the clearing stilled. “Do you think the radio still works?” 

Eian's hopes and dreams burst into flames with the technology in a perfect added insult to injury.

“I'm pretty sure it's up in smoke,” her voice cracked. 

“Just like our careers.”

The two slumped over in defeat. “Looks like Team Rocket's walking home again.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, readers. :) I'm fully enjoying creating this story, and finding inspiration all over the place, from knitted Digletts to art from PG fans, to various small things popping up in my own life IRL. If you were at Anime California and came to the Do's and Dont's of Fan Fiction, thank you for listening to me ramble on. I had a blast, and was super excited to win a Pikachu sound-alike contest at the Pokemon GO gathering on Saturday. I closet-cosplayed Spark. :) 
> 
> Special thanks to Noire-Leader of Team Rocket, for providing the name "Eian" for the male Team Rocket grunt. Look up her page on Facebook. :)  
> And to Minami (my walking pokedex) for the name "Lauren." Thanks, guys! ^^


	7. Alone, It's Song Will Fail

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Candela and Spark hatch a plan to rescue Zipper and save their friends, Blanche comes face to face with her past...literally.

**Chapter 7: ALONE, IT'S SONG WILL FAIL**

It didn't take long for Spark to find the blackened ring of ash signifying his epic defeat on the shore of Yumi Lake. He searched the surrounding area for his jacket, but came up dry. 

“Great.” He kicked a stone into the water. “Just perfect.” The Pokemon within the ultra ball in the jacket's inner pocket would be furious. He knew it could pop out of its ball at any time –it had done so a few times in the past, and in the worst places—so he wasn't worried about ever seeing it again. In fact, he knew he would if only to be revenge-zapped by it. However, he really liked that jacket. It was a present given to him after the most intense journey of his life. 

He remembered Zipper desperately saying something to the injured Oddish. Somehow, all Pokemon could understand each other regardless of their type. It often left him perplexed as to why they could communicate easily, but Humans couldn't join the party—well, aside from those with psychic abilities. He could only hope his friend had instructed it to run to Harmony Center. It either listened, or it ran off frightened into the woods. 

Losing the leather jacket was upsetting, but acceptable. Saving his Pikachu easily topped his list of priorities. Forgetting the clothing, he headed back into the forest toward the Center. He would fight Aurora and Team Rocket with his bare hands to get Zipper back if he had to. 

“Spark!”

He turned at a higher pitched shout of his name and his eyebrows raised. “Candela?” He wasn't expecting to see her out here, but it made him happy. “Candela! Boy am I glad to see you.” Instead of a white and red blur hunched over an Arcanine rushing toward him, it was a black and yellow blur. “Why are you wearing my jacket?” 

She dismounted the Arcanine without a word and marched heatedly across the grass. “Spark, you idiot!” 

Good feelings gone. Of all the dangers he'd faced today, she promised the most physical trauma. Her stiff stride and sharp golden eyes signaled that he was in deep trouble. He stumbled backwards and held his hands up in defense. “Whoa, whoa, I can explain. I can explain! —huh?“

Candela tightly locked her arms around his torso. 

That wasn't what he expected. Instead of introducing his face to her fist, she'd hugged him. To him, it meant the world. It meant he wasn't at Harmony Center simply because of the Legendary Pokemon that chose to stay with him. She truly cared about him. 

His arms lowered slowly and his shoulders relaxed. “Candela...”

“When you didn't come home, Blanche got worried.”

A tiny smirk edged his lips. “' _Blanche_ ' got worried? Did Professor Willow start crying, too?”

Her arms tightened, turning the hug into a punishment. 

“Hrk! Ok. Ok. Ok,” he pushed against her shoulders, straining to speak behind compacting ribs. “I get it. I screwed up. I'm sorry. Please let go. Can't breathe. ..Ribs... cracking...”

She released him with an air of satisfaction as he clutched his chest. Her punishment was issued; at least for now. There wasn't much for her to do, because the next would come from a different source. 

She backed up, amused, but no less angry at him for putting them all through this ordeal. She slid his jacket off and handed it over. “You should take this back. And this.” The black belt above her own white one clicked free. “I can't believe you left without them. What got into you?”

He gratefully put them both on, and tugged at the ends of his jacket. “I was kind of broken, but now I'm not. It took an old man to make me realize that.” Finally, with his Pokemon literally at his side, and his jacket back where it belonged, he felt comfortable and complete. 

Her eyebrow arched. “What old man?”

“I'll tell you later.” He removed the ultra ball from its pocket and held it in his gloved palm. “You ok, partner?”

The ball tilted slightly up and down.

“No hard feelings, right?”

It 'nodded' once more. 

“Good. I mean, a little help back there would have been nice.”

A surge of energy forked out from the pokeball and past his glove to hit the slim vulnerable strip of skin on his wrist—the only unprotected area.

“Gah!” His arm seized up and his hair stood on end. It lasted a split second, but was enough voltage power to get the point across. “Ok, I deserved that,” he winced. “I'm sure you had your reasons.” The muscles of his hand twitched. He'd been hit by various strengths of electricity ever since he was a boy, so he was accustomed to occasional electrical discharges.

“Good. Now that you two love birds made up, we have to go.”

“How'd you find me anyway?”

Candela gave her Arcanine a pet of gratitude. “Arcanine picked up the scent of Cheez-Bitz and followed that.” She returned it to its pokeball. “By the way, we need to have a talk later.”

Confused, but in too much of a rush to save his home, he let it slide. The two ran toward the setting sun. “There's something you need to know. Team Rocket—” 

“Team Rocket attacked Harmony Center.”

The rest of his words caught in his throat. “Uh.. yeah. They have Zipper.”

“We know.”

“Ok, smarty-pants, what else do you know? How'd you get my jacket?”

“That Oddish you healed came to the Center for help.” 

His eyebrows raised in pleasant surprise. It headed his Pikachu's plea, and despite being wild, risked capture by willingly walking into the middle of a domain of Pokemon trainers. These small actions continuously reaffirmed his belief that Pokemon were intelligent, intuitive creatures. “Is it ok?”

She nodded. Leave it to Spark to worry about the safety of a single Pokemon in the midst of peril. “It's fine. One of your team members is looking after it.” 

They hid behind a tree at the edge of the forest. Across the field down the gently sloping hill, they could easily see the invaders' trucks proudly blocking the front gate with their loud red letter 'R's. A few Team Rocket members paced outside. The ominous silent atmosphere and lack of fighting let them know more had made it inside. 

“We're too late,” Spark rested his palm against the tree. His heart dropped. Team Rocket had succeeded in overtaking his home. He hadn't lived there for more than a month, and already unwelcome house guests were raiding the refrigerator. That was his job.

“Blanche. Professor.” Candela whispered. She wanted to storm the center with every Pokemon at her disposal and light everything labeled with an 'R' on fire. Acting on her rage, she started walking. 

“What are you doing?”

“Taking our home back.” She snarled.

“Good idea.” He started to follow, but that ping thrummed through his chest again. That familiar vibration was back to its usual strength. “Actually, bad idea.” Spark grabbed her wrist. “Cease fire, Feisty Pants. We can't just barge in through the front door. We need a plan.”

“You sound like Blanche. And... Feisty Pants? Really?”

“Have you met you?” He ignored her glare. “Look, just trust me, if we go in all flames and thunder, it'll be bad news bros. We gotta do this from the inside. It'll be easier to take them on if we catch them off guard.”

She had to admit, he may be right. “You have a point. They'll be expecting at attack from the front.” She eyed the road to the entrance, then the eastern side holding her escape route. “They think I'm still there, but they know you're not. The gym has a back entrance. I can get in through there, but we'll need a distraction. You're good at that.”

She glanced sidelong to him when the expected rebuttal defensive remark about him being more than just a distraction didn't come. A serious expression of regret blanketed his eyes. He exhaled heavily and clutched the tree trunk with enough force to tear away a strip of bark. It didn't take a psychic to see he was worried about his Pikachu. She knew how much he meant to Spark, and how close they were, though she didn't know the whole back story. One of these days she would find out, and hopefully clear up the reason behind his name. Zipper had become the house Pikachu, and a member of the family they all grew to care for. She rested a reassuring hand on his arm. “We'll get him back.”

He nodded, turning that regret into absolute determination. The wheel of ideas already spun with ways to make Team Rocket's lives miserable. “All right.” He cracked his knuckles. “One quality master distraction comin' right up.” He started to move when he suddenly exclaimed, “D'ah!” 

“What?” Candela readied herself for battle from an incoming source. “What happened?”

He cringed in regret. “I think I left a PokeTart in the microwave.”

She groaned. “Team Rocket took over Harmony Center, and you're worried about a PokeTart?”

“It's gotta be cold by now,” he lamented the loss of his snack. “They taste nasty re-nuked.”

“Oh, for the love of—“ She dragging him along the edge of the forest while keeping the facility in sight. “I don't know how you can live off those things.”

“I don't know how you can like foods that are mouth angry!”

Candela glanced sidelong at him. “You mean 'spicy' or 'hot?'”

“Yes.”

Candela clicked the release of her Flareon's pokeball, setting it free in a stream of energy. “Flareon, you know what to do.”

“Flare!” It ran along the edge to the Diglett secret entrance Per its Trainer's request, it went ahead to provide light.

His shoulders slumped. “Really? I just got out of a really big, endless cave. Isn't there another way?”

She rolled her eyes. “Just shut up and get in the hole.”

The wry simper returned to his impish face. “If I had a coin for every time I heard that...”

“You'd be broke.” 

Defeated awkwardness colored his face. “I really don't have enough ointment for your burns.” He dropped down into the tunnel to his hands and knees and started crawling after the dim orange light of the Flareon's low-heat flame. “Why do I have to go first?”

“You know exactly why.” Came an irritated voice behind him. 

“Fine.” He grumbled, but smiled anyway. Hey, at least for a few minutes, a girl would have no choice but to keep his butt in their line of sight. It was a nice change to being perceived as a sensitive, egg-loving dork who occasionally dabbed through the lobby in his wheeled shoes to the rage of Professor Willow.

Once they got to the other side, they took shelter behind a broad 3-tiered rock formation. The massive building completely blocked the setting sun, so the terrain of sector 4 lived in the black shadow of an early night. Digletts popped up out of the ground.

“Thanks, guys,” Candela said. 

“Diglett!” They ducked back into the ground, and left to wreak havoc on any wandering, unsuspecting Team Rocket members left outside.  
Spark and Candela locked eyes, nodded in ready, and split off in opposite directions. 

* * * *  
_Simultaneously while the two hatched plans for a rescue..._

Team Rocket secured the courtyard within minutes. Despite the number of Trainers, most of their Pokemon squirmed beneath the restraining nets. Many recalled their companions to the safety of their pokeballs, while others refused to do so in fear of them being taken away. They hovered close to their Pokemon beneath the threatening eyes of the enemy. Those able to run, took the battle inside.

Blanche untangled an injured Sandshrew and rested a hand on it sympathetically. It breathed in rough gasps, wounded and too weak to stand. Its Trainer, one of her own team members, recalled it to its pokeball. The trainer slumped over on her knees, clutching the red and white ball protectively in her hands. Her own weakness began to subside. Blanche supported the girl's arm over her shoulder and helped her into the complex. 

Pokemon energy blasts and shouts rang through the halls of Harmony Center out of sight as Team Rocket engaged any stray Trainers in battle.

Blanche surrendered her weakened team member to Professor Tachikawa, who ushered the young woman into the medical ward. Satisfied her teammate was now safe, she ran through the halls with her Vaporeon at her side. Jet streams of water shot from its mouth at Blanche's 'Hydro Pump' command, striking any enemy team member she ran across. In moments, she gained a small pack of Valor, Mystic, and Instinct trainers watching her back. 

She paused in the comfortable annex waiting room to the gym and faced those she'd rescued. Percussive bursts from battle muted through the walls. “Is everyone all right?”

They responded in various nods and vocal assurances, though she could see they were scared. 

Hurried footfalls pulled their attention to the hall. Blanche breathed a sigh of relief that wasn't Team Rocket. “Professor.”

Professor Willow jogged through to her side. “There you are. Did Candela come back yet?” 

She shook her head. “I haven't seen her.”

He cursed under his breath. What could be keeping them?

A snide, contemptuous voice cut through the din straight to the short, slim team leader. “It's been a long time, Blanche.” 

The voice froze Blanche in place. Her heart pounded in shock. Slowly, she turned her head toward the entryway.

The head of the local Team Rocket group strode forward confidently with her subordinates lording over the defeated trainers. Bonnie and Clyde remained at her side. The steel of her emerald gaze shifted to the older man next. “I want to thank you for taking such good care of my baby sister, Professor.”

She'd recognized the silhouette from the blurry image on Professor Tachikawa's datapad, and half hoped she was right, and hoped she was wrong. “Aurora,” she breathed. 

Aurora reveled in the reaction from the other. “Surprised to see me?”

“To put it mildly. How...? I thought you were—”

“Lost? News of my disappearance was greatly exaggerated.”

The sense from her sister was familiar, but darker than what she'd been exposed to her entire life. “What are you doing here?” 

Aurora pouted. “My dear Blanche, is that any way to greet your long lost twin?”

Blanche ignored the surprised mutterings from onlookers. “Answer the question.”

“The same thing I wanted then.” Disregarding the trainers and professor, she and her two companions centered themselves in the room like they already owned it and wore the crowns to this kingdom. “This facility will be a prize for the boss.” 

The ice blue Vaporeon growled at Blanche's side, sliding one foot forward and swishing its tail in aggression. 

Aurora held up the containment unit holding the small Pikachu. “I wouldn't.” 

Blanche's eyes widened. “Zipper...”

Zipper pounded his little fists against the glass. “Pika! Pi pika pi!” Electricity sparked at its cheeks, letting a charge loose. “Chu!” The container filled with yellow lightning. After a few seconds, he stopped. His captor remained calm. 

“Let him go.” Blanche demanded.

“Hmm... No,” she mused, “I like my prize. I think I'll keep it.”

Breath hitched in Professor Willow's throat when he recalled the image from the Oddish. He grit his teeth. “Where's Spark?”

“Probably crying in the dark by now.” She addressed the trainers gathered around, making eye contact with each one in yellow. “Your valiant leader thought he was powerful enough to take me on with one Pikachu. How does it feel to know you follow a child who didn't even have the guts to summon his Legendary when it mattered most? Your leader is a coward and a fool.”

“Enough, Aurora!” Blanche snapped. 

“Fine, whatever. I'm actually here to offer you a deal,” She rocked Zipper's containment unit lazily from side to side as she circled her twin. “If the leaders of this gym can defeat me in battle, I'll let this Pikachu go, relinquish control of this facility back to the Professor, and we'll leave; simple as that. No arguments. If I win, this facility goes to Team Rocket, and I take back what was stolen from me.” She lingered close, eye to eye with her twin, the mirror image of herself in every meaning of the word. “But I'm sure your teams have enough faith in their leaders to accept a deal like this without any problem. I'll even give the Instinct twerp a second chance if he can show up before night fall. That will give him,” she checked her watch, “One hour.” Her arrogant smirk remained even as she saw a few Valor, Mystic, and Instinct team members in her peripheral preparing their pokeballs to attack. “Tell the them to back down, or this fight won't just be between us.”

Blanche clenched her teeth, glaring icicles into her sister. If she denied the request, more people and Pokemon would be hurt. Aurora never knew when to quit. The only thing she respected was strength. And if she found someone stronger than her, she declared war, and wouldn't stop until she obtained victory, no matter what the cost, or who she used to get there. To her, everything and everyone was a tool. “Everyone. Do as she says.” 

“But, leader—!” One of her male team members protested.

“We can't let her do this!” A Valor member shouted.

“This isn't right!” An Instinct girl argued.

“Your well being and that of your Pokemon come first. If Candela were in this room, she'd say the same. As would Spark.” She let the care in her tone touch through with the strength of her order. “This is a fight that should never have involved you, and I'm sorry. Go.”

The Trainers bit back responses, wanting to defy the order, but the logic made sense. Grudgingly, they resigned to being corralled back into the main lounge area on the first floor by the Team Rocket cronies and their Pokemon. Three Scythers, a Koffing, a Persian, and two Arbok took up guard, keeping watchful eyes on those in the spacious area. 

Blanche returned her focus to her twin. “Let them take the injured ones to Nurse Joy, and I'll agree to your deal.”

It was a fair request. As much as she hungered for the strongest Pokemon, she didn't go out of her way to harm them for no reason. These fought bravely in battle, and that was a quality she respected. “I'll allow it.” She sent a command to her subordinates. “Take yours in as well. Make sure Team Rocket is handled first, then let the runts heal their Pokemon.”

A chorus of , 'Yes, boss,' responded, though she caught one snorted comment from Bonnie.

“I don't know why we have to let them heal, boss. I enjoy blasting those little nitwits into next week.”

“This is our base now.” Clyde gestured to the scene of downed Pokemon and angry red, yellow, and blue Trainers. “We should be tossing these runts out on their—“

“Harmony Center isn't completely ours yet.” Aurora's words sliced their blades into his own. “Not until we teach their leaders a lesson.” 

“It never will be yours,” Professor Willow stepped in her way between Blanche at the trainers. “I can't permit this fight to take place. You are all banned from the premises effective immediately. Take your flunkies and get out.”

She planted a hand on her hip, deftly slipping a miniaturized pokeball from her belt beneath her jacket. “I thought your brain child was open to all teams to use the gym. That should include Team Rocket. Unless you're playing favorites. In that case, shame on you, Professor.” 

Professor Willow seethed with enough anger to slap someone across the face with a Magikarp. Considering that Pokemon's structure consisted of solid bone, it would leave a serious mark, and likely a broken nose. 

“Professor,” Blanche glanced up to his face, seeing that concern and need to protect the facility, the Pokemon, and the trainers under his charge. She respected that sense of fatherly duty, and had come to rely on it in times when she needed his advice. “Trust me.”

He didn't like it, but all three leaders had proven their worth in the past, so he acquiesced to her wishes. This was the most logical course of action. He admired her ability to discern which act should be taken in a situation, and this one allowed no one else to be hurt. That skill was one of the reasons she was chosen by her Legendary. 

The five of them walked into the gym, though he lingered back to be a witness. If Aurora was still anything like the girl he remembered from the Orange Archipelago mission, this would not be an easy fight, even with a Legendary Pokemon on their side. Aurora was smart, cunning, and dedicated; exactly like Blanche. The only difference lie in their smiles. Blanche's held kindness, understanding, and gentility. Aurora's equally delicate features would have matched had they not belonged to a compassionless devil. She'd already begun her fight the moment she removed Spark from the equation. 

Harmony Center's future was not the only thing riding on the outcome of this battle. He prayed Candela could find their missing team leader and bring him back before it was too late. 

Blanche took her place on the silver, hexagonal platform at the blue side, while Aurora, Bonnie, and Clyde took theirs on the red. The wide white stripe and yellow ring in the middle divided the battle field. 

Aurora maximized the pokeball in her hand, put her shoulder into it, and aimed directly at her rival's head. “Go!” The ball would never hit, but the spark of her viperous intent would. 

“Eevee!” It formed out of the pokeball's energy in mid air and landed smoothly on the crimson floor in a crouch, ready to fight. 

“An Eevee?” Blanche thought her sister might used her original Flareon first out instead, seeing as their reunion would stir up nostalgia of their life before they walked separate paths. This was an unexpected turn that left her wondering what her sister had planned. If raised right, an unevolved Eevee could be a formidable force. Quickly, she adjusted her plan of attack. “Vaporeon,” she knelt down, brushing her hand over her faithful companion's head. “Please assist me later.”

It nuzzled her hand. After living with its Human for so long, it knew Blanche always had a plan that it learned to trust. It returned back to its pokeball without complaint to wait. 

Blanche stood to face her twin with another pokeball at the ready. She threw it into the open gym. “I chose you. Starmie.”

The two Pokemon faced off, waiting for orders. 

“We don't have to do this, Aurora.” Blanche's voice carried across the expanse. “If a fight is all you want, leave Harmony Center out of this.”

Aurora chuckled, though it was far from kind. “My dear, naïve sister, you're only half right. Defeating you will be icing on the cake. The one I'm after,” a shadow darkened her eyes, “...is Candela.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic was supposed to be short. I have failed in that department. 
> 
> (I've had the ending written out since the first week of August. It's a matter of snaking around to that point, then tweaking the ending to flow with the rest of the piece.)
> 
> Thanks to everyone for reading and sticking with me! These chapters take me days to write, riddled with headaches, writers blocks, tantrums when something doesn't flow right, frustrations in writing, and pure 1am bliss when that is the only time my ideas can flow.
> 
> I know I've said this before, but your enthusiasm fuels me to stay on a deadline and do my best to bring you something you can enjoy. There are some fancanons that I'm behind, but I'm avoiding main shippings on purpose so as not to mess with anyone's headcanons in that area. 
> 
> Thank you to everyone who commented, to the other artists out there, and to the Pokemon GO fandom that's been making this journey so awesome. Please stay with me. Comments are always welcome. :D ^^


	8. A Bitter Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fight for Harmony Center begins. Blanche faces off with her twin.

**Chapter 8: A Bitter Reunion**

“Prepare the arena!” Aurora proclaimed. 

Harmony Center's computer responded to the vocal command. It was programmed to head the order of a trainer if it detected the presence of Pokemon and trainers properly positioned on either side of the battle field. If the gym floor held multiple people, it would disregard any demands. In this case, its sensors detected sufficient conditions for a battle. 

The blue side of the floor split down the middle, pulling each side in under the seating until a wide strip of water shimmered in the gym's lighting. Small landing squares were left in its wake to accommodate water Pokemon who also favored land. The two main sides remained sticking out as platforms flanking the pool. 

At the same time, the red side pulled apart revealing an landscape fit for rock, ground, grass, and fire Pokemon. 

“The rules are simple.” She and her two companions stood on the throne of their extended hexagonal perches. “Three Pokemon each. The team to go down first wins this gym. The loser gets the privilege of moving in to a hotel in town.”

Blanche nodded once. “Agreed.”

A low, eager laugh escaped from Aurora. Finally, the stage was set. “Eevee!” Aurora folded her arms. “Quick attack.”

The little brown-furred creature bolted forward on all fours, zig-zagged, and leaped into the gem at the center of its opponent. Though the Starmie was fast, it wasn't able to avoid the hit. The strength of the seemingly weak Pokemon sent it flying. It crashed into a landing square and bounced into the water. The Eevee rebounded to land smoothly back on solid ground. 

Blanche's jaw slacked. She'd expected an impact –a quick attack was difficult for any Pokemon to avoid, after all—but nothing of that level. “Starmie. Confuse Ray. Go in for a body slam.”

The 10 pointed water Pokemon sent a beam from its red center gem that shimmered across the distance. 

It struck the ground a second after the Eevee jumped to avoid it. The little Pokemon was fast, and it used that to its advantage to avoid the attack. However, the body slam hit, knocking Eevee to the ground stage. 

“Water Gun.” Blanche watched the Starmie's powerful blast of liquid stream through the air and strike the Eevee. It tumbled across the dirt and grass back toward Aurora. It struggled to get to its feet. She watched her sister's expression, hoping for a reaction of worry. The other didn't frown in concern. On the contrary, she smiled.

“Eevee,” She extended her right hand, palm out, and said simply, “Swift.”

Blanche reacted just as rapidly. “Starmie, dive under and attack!”

Starmie did as it was told and used the water to propel itself into the air, spinning directly at its opponent. 

“Double-Edge. Now!” Aurora's command powered to her Eevee.

Blanche's Eyes widened as the Eevee collided with the Starmie. Both dropped into the water, wounded. Starmie's gem blinked in warning that it would soon faint. How could Aurora deliberately inflict damage onto her own Pokemon just to deplete most of Starmie' s energy? 

“Return.” Aurora held out the pokeball and let a stream of energy wrap around the Eevee just as it sank beneath the surface and pull it into the safety of its ball. “Thank you. You gave me all I needed to know.”

Blanche's heart dropped. Aurora still considered Pokemon to be tools. Her shoulders slumped. “You've changed, Aurora. You never use to be this cruel.”

Her fist tightened around the pokeball. “Being abandoned on an island to die by your only family will do that to you.” 

A knot of regret tightened in Blanche's chest. She glanced sidelong at Professor Willow, who looked to be experiencing the same pain. “The whole building collapsed. There was no way anyone could survive that!”

“Surprise. I did.” Her eyes flicked to her teammate. “Bonnie. Plan A.”

Bonnie cambered her arm back with a mischievous grin. “One take-down comin' up! Tangela, go!”

The ball soared through the air, expelling the tangled blue mess of a Pokemon. Big white eyes and red shoes were its only distinguishable features, but its body lay hidden completely under its vines. 

“Use Bind!” 

Vines lashed out from Tangela's body and wrapped around Starmie. 

Starmie struggled, shivered, and as the light of its gem blinked out, it fainted. 

“Return.” Blanche quickly recalled her injured Pokemon back to its ball. She frowned as she hooked it to her belt and withdrew the one holding her Vaporeon. A click of the button released it onto the platform beside her. 

“Vapooooor!” It hunched down, ready to defend is trainer and friend. 

Clyde stepped in to release his Koffing over the land. Puffs of poisoned air kept it afloat.

Blanche's voice kept its mellow cool. “Three against one? I shouldn't be surprised you'd fight dirty.”

“No, my team against your team.” her toned pitched like she'd repeated a remedial order to a toddler. “Team Rocket against the leaders of Mystic, Valor, and Instinct.” She chuckled lightly and gestured to her teammates. “I don't understand your problem here. I'm playing by the rules this time. You're all about rules. You never learned to stray from the book.” She tossed the Eevee's pokeball idly into the air and caught it. “I was counting on that, and you didn't disappoint, dear sister.”

She knew her sister's battle strategies, which made her next move a quick decision. “Vaporeon. Get in the water.”

Clyde clenched his fist and punched the air. “Koffing! Poison gas!”

“Vaporeon. Water Pulse.” 

A powerful sphere of cold liquid shot at the floating enemy, pounding its fist into its hard surface. The gas exuding from Koffing dispersed over their side instead, setting the three of them into gagging fits. They jumped down to the ground to avoid it.  
“You pea brain!” Bonnie coughed and smacked her partner upside the head. 

“Hydro Pump,” Blanche commanded. “Now! Blast it out of the sky!” 

Vaporeon used it's strong tail to launch itself out of the water, and fire a high powered stream of water at Koffing. It hit dead on, sending the poison type into the water. 

“Koffing! Koff! Koff!” It wobbled, bubbling and burbling in the water.

“Koffing! Awe,” Clyde hung his head in defeat and held out the ball. “Return.” He recalled the defeated Pokemon. 

A slight smile tugged at the corner of Blanche's lips. “If all of his Pokemon are that weak, this might be a fair fight after all.”

How dare she insult his training skills. He didn't make it to this position because he lacked brains and skill. “Oh yeah? Try this on for size!” He threw his second Pokemon into battle. “Sandshrew! Use Sandstorm!”

The Sandshew ran to the edge of the platform, skid to a halt and darted in a tight circle. The sandstorm kicked up dirt, blowing it over the water. It dissipated, but not before affecting the Vaporeon and causing damage. 

Bonnie cut him off before he could yell out another command. She didn't want him messing this up. “Tangela, use bind!” 

Once more, the purple vines slithered out and coiled around Vaporeon's body. 

“Dive!” Blanche ordered quickly. “Take it under water!”

The Tangela yelped as it was dragged off the dirt platform into the water. It struggled, tightening its vines to try to stop the other's descent.

“Tangela, Mega Drain!”

Blanche gasped. Her Vaporeon was weakening, and that translated to herself, like with Starmie. She stood still, refusing to show that drain on her strength, or Aurora would take advantage of it like she always did. “Vaporeon, break free!”

Vaporeon heard the next order, spun its body, and slammed its finned tail into the Tangela with enough force to jar its hold loose.

"Water Jet!" 

The water Pokemon curved through the water, creating a cocoon around itself, and rammed its opponent. The water jet move ejected it into the air. It smacked into the ground and rolled right into the Sandshrew, knocking it off its feet.

“No, Tangela!” Bonnie rushed over. “Are you ok?” 

“Ta...ngle....” It whimpered. 

“Yes!” Professor Willow cheered. She'd learned and changed in great strides since the Orange Archipelago mission. This Blanche, and the Blanche that set out to Ice Island one year ago were already different people. Pride swelled in his chest. 

She returned it to its pokeball, clipped it to her belt, and withdrew her second Pokemon. “Fine, you want water on water? You got it.” Bonnie threw the pokeball backed by the power of a baseball pitcher. “Shellder! Let's show her who's boss!”

“Shellder.” The slime of its name slid from its tongue. Its grin matched that of its master.

Vaporeon surfaced. Its tail swished side to side, easily keeping its head above water. 

“Bonnie, hold.” Aurora ordered. She regarded her sister next. “Your Vaporeon is started to feel the pressure.” She threw her second Pokemon into play. The pokeball burst open, and in a flash of energy, materialized a broad, muscular Venusaur. The broad shouldered grass Pokemon roared with conviction to protect its Trainer. Aurora pet the front leaf on its head lovingly. “Trying to defeat all six of our Pokemon on your own? I knew you to take calculated risks, Blanche, but this is a daring stride I wouldn't expect from you. You've become reckless.” She patted the Venusaur's forehead twice and it thundered forward slowly. “Or are you simply playing the hero to impress our audience?” 

“What you see as 'reckless,' I see as believing in my Pokemon.” Her tone softened slightly. “Spark taught me that.” She sent a steely glare to her twin. She and her companion stared down their three enemies: Sandshrew, Shellder, and Venusaur. “They will be here. Don't underestimate Candela's and Spark's abilities to kick your—“

“Spark?” Aurora laughed loudly. “I defeated that pathetic waste of air without even using my full strength, and captured his Pikachu. There are only two of your team left for me to take down.” She held up Zipper's containment unit in emphasis to her victory. 

Venusaur's vines whipped out, lashing across Vaporeon's body, then coiled around it and slammed it into the dirt. 

“Vaporeon!” Blanche jumped down to a floating landing square, easily keeping her balance. “Hold on!” _I can't recall her._ she thought. _Not yet. We need to buy them time. Please, hang in there, Vaporeon._

Aurora mocked the water trainer. “You finally make a couple of friends in your lonely life, and what do they do? They leave you when you need them the most,” Aurora drew in closer to the edge of the ground segment, the venom of her breath hissing across the short distance. “Just like you left me.”

“You're baiting me.” 

“Of course I am. You have one Pokemon left, and it looks like it's up to you to save this gym.” she snarled eagerly. “Choose wisely.” She wanted to see the Legendary in action, to know if it truly listened to her sister, or if she just got lucky on Ice Island. 

Blanche clenched her teeth, feeling weaker and weaker as her Vaporeon—her closest Pokemon companion—took more damage. “I know what you want, and I refuse to placate you.”

Vaporeon knew Aurora almost as well as Blanche did, seeing as it and her Human twin's evolved Eevee grew up together. There was no way it would let Aurora hurt her beloved friend. It tried to stand, but the Venusaur's vines constricted tighter. “Reoooon!” It cried in pain.

Blanche panted, picking up on her companion's damage, which didn't help her own situation. “Let her go...”

“No.” Aurora showed no sign of such weakness, which made sense. Her Eevee was recalled before it could be seriously injured or fainted. Bonnie and Clyde's faces both showed a bead of sweat—proof that the defeat of their Pokemon had taken its toll on their own energy.

Blanche repeated the vow. “They will be here. They're my friends. I trust them.”

“And I trusted you!” Aurora yelled, putting spikes onto her own words. “You never came back to the island to look for me, did you!”

“Yes, I did! I dug through rubble until my fingers bled and I suffered heat stroke. I couldn't find you.” The memories flooded to the front of her mind; the pain of scorching heat filling the Fire Island temple at the base of the volcano had burned her lungs, the threat of another cave in rumbled around her, and even with the help of her Legendary, felt the pain of heartbreak when they found nothing but an opened, empty pokeball. Blanche kept it as all she thought she had left of her twin sister. “I suffered, Aurora. That nightmare haunts me to this day. You were my twin; my other half. I loved you.”

Pain pulsed in Aurora's chest. “...Loved...?” She grit her teeth. That look in her sister's eye, the look of faith, of unquestioned love—she thought she'd never see it again. But seeing it intended for the hot-head and the blonde twerp set fire to the revenge swirling in her chest. “Venusaur, let it go” she growled, “Razor Leaf,” her eyes narrowed, “both of them.”

Blanche cried out as sharp leaf after leaf sliced across her skin and clothes. Red blood lines seeped from the wounds, staining the fabric. She collapsed to her hands and knees, her limbs shaking with effort just to keep her upright. Even if she fell, she still had one Pokemon left before Aurora could claim true victory over the Mystic team leader. 

If she injured Blanche enough, then it might force her to call her Legendary, or it would show up on its own to protect her. 

“Aurora,” Blanche breathed, glancing up to lock eyes with the identical spheres of her sister's. “Shiro wouldn't want us to fight like this.” 

Aurora froze, unprepared to have that weapon pulled on her. She shook her head. “Shiro doesn't exist!”

“He exists in both of us!” She grimaced. Blood dripped to the landing square from the gash lining her cheek. You know it as well as I do!”

“How dare you bring him up!” Her hand cut through the air. In response, the Venusaur's vines whipped out, lashing across Blanche's face and torso. 

Breath hitched in Professor Willow's throat behind his tightened jaw. Blanche rarely spoke of him. Bringing him up was painful, but he understood why. She was trying to get through to the Aurora they both used to know. This woman had changed in the past year just as much as Blanche had.

“Aurora, stop!” Professor Willow leaped over the railing onto the side platform and ran to Blanche. “That's enough!” He scooped up Vaporeon and set it next to his team leader. 

Blanche took the Vaporeon in her arms, and slumped over.

“You're too late, old man.” She glared as Professor Willow made himself a shield between the two women. “You were too late a long time ago, and you're too late now! Get out of my way!” Her black boots kicked up dust as she ran toward the pool, her third Pokeball in hand, ready to throw...

**FWOOSH!**

Aurora skid backwards, steadying herself with one hand on the ground. The area in front of her bore a starburst charred mark the size of two Venusaurs standing side by side. She turned her eyes skyward to the distinct sound of massive leathery wings. The rage inside her shifted to malevolent excitement. “Candela.” The name slid from her tongue with sweet distain, lowering her tone at the last syllable. “Finally, this fight turned interesting.”

“Aurora.” Candela dropped easily from the back of her Charizard. It settled next to her raising its head to the open skylight and letting out a roar in the faint daylight, ready to fight. “I overheard a lot of that. Even though you're back from the lost, one thing about you hasn't change.” she folded her arms. “You still talk too much.”

* * * *  
_Meanwhile, for the distraction out front that let Candela make her grand entrance..._

“Do you think this is going to take long?” A Team Rocket member stretched his arms in boredom over his head. “I gotta be somewhere in a couple hours.”

“Why, do you have a hot date?” One of his three companions nudged his arm, gaining a chuckle from the other two. 

“Right,” another snorted. “This guy couldn't get a date with a mannequin.” 

“Yes, I can,” he defended hotly, though backed down when he realized to his shame what he was defending. “That's not what I meant.”

The four of them laughed, mocked him in their own silly way, and were happy to focus their attention on something other than the empty courtyard. All of the trainers and their Pokemon had moved inside to the main lounge area. They were left behind to ensure no one made it past them beyond the Magnemite electric fence. Though the Pokemon weren't connected physically, they were spaced apart enough to allow a flow that resulted in a continuous low hum of power.

An Electrode rolled up innocently out of nowhere, grinned mischievously and laughed. 

“Hey,” one of the girls noticed it first and arched an eyebrow. “Does that belong to any of you guys?”

They all shook their heads, then suddenly scrambled madly to find an unused Pokeball when it lit up like a sun and started sparking. 

“Quick! Someone catch before it—!”

**KRABOOM!**

Clouds of smoke exploded out of the Electrode with a strong shock wave that knocked all four of them and any Pokemon they had out to the ground. The blast left them sprawled on the lawn.

Their static-fried attentions barely registered the smiling face of the young blonde man striding toward them. 

“Good job, Yoyo.” Spark patted the Electrode's shiny white dome. 

It waggled its eyebrows back. Somedays, it really loved its job. It had been a while since Spark let it go off like that, so it made this explosion count. 

“Return.” The energy beam connected with the Pokemon, drawing it back into the ball. He clipped it to his belt and held two pokeballs between his fingers beneath a smug mien. “Now this I can work with.” He tossed both into the air. “Ai! Velcro! I chose you!”

Ai, his Jolteon, and Velcro, his Magneton materialized from the energy streams. 

“Velcro, think you can get to work on those Magnemites? Destabilize them, talk to them, whatever you can think of. Just get them to take that fence down. I'm counting on you, buddy.” 

“Magneton.” It spun in the air around its Trainer, then took off to the electrified fence. Spark couldn't understand it, but as one Magnetic Pokemon after another shut off its volts, he knew his companion was getting through. “Awesome work. Keep it up. I'll come back for you.”

It nodded to him, and continued its work. 

“Ai. Let's go.” Goal set, he ran past the dazed, groaning Team Rocket members toward the front door. 

“Isn't that the Instinct twerp?” The girl sat up, rubbing her back. “How did he get out of the cave?!” She and two of her fellow guards tried to follow in a stumbled, zombie-like mess, but fell. Their equilibriums were off balance due to the close proximity of the explosion. 

“He'll pay for that,” one of the guys muttered.

“There goes our raise,” she dropped to the grass. 

“We're gonna be demoted to office grunts.”

“I'm not cut out for desk life. Paper cuts really hurt.”

The four let out a collective sigh. “We'll just lie here on the ground...with our shame.”

Spark left them behind to wallow in their defeat and ran through the doors to the lobby when they slid open. “Phase two of Spark's Master Distraction—go.” The first black-uniformed person to come in sight became his target. The red letter 'R' made for the perfect bullseye. “Ai. Use Discharge.”

The Jolteon's yellow power zig-zagged into the Team Rocket member and his Venamoth. Both collapsed, stunned. 

The commotion drew out two more from the main lounge area. “It's the Instinct leader! Get him!” 

Spark skid to a halt. “Ai, body slam!” 

His Jolteon leaped into the air, rammed into the first team member, then rebounded into the other. 

Though the hallway was wide, it still didn't give the invaders enough space to avoid the attack. They slumped against the walls, coughing from the impact. 

He'd expected their Pokemon to be with them, but it was just the Humans. They must have left them behind in the lounge, which meant they were guarding something, or someone, important. Spark's target changed. 

He ran past the two dazed men, “Lates, dudes!” and down the hall the way they'd come. 

Ai charged forward, but after a second, noticed her Trainer wasn't following. She looked behind her, cocking her head to the side curiously. “Jolty?”

Spark had stopped to tap his all-access pass card from his wallet to a vending machine's detection panel. It beeped in rapid succession, accepting the clearance. A bottle of water and a chocolaty caramel candy bar tumbled into the slot. He picked up the candy, unwrapped it, and ate the whole thing in two bites. Then he unscrewed the cap of the bottle, and took a drink. “What?” He covered the opening smoothly with his palm and tossed the lid and wrapper into the trashcan next to the machine. “I've been gone for hours. I'm hungry and a little thirsty.” He held the bottle out. “Want some?”

Ai puffed in exasperation. She loved her Human, but he could really test her patience sometimes. If she could tell him now was not the time for a snack break, she would... but she'd take him up on the offer later when their home wasn't under siege. There had better be a giant bowl of PokePuffs waiting for her later.

Spark smirked and rubbed her head between her ears. “Let's go.” 

Both ran into the lounge area. As he thought, the Team Rocket members and their Pokemon all instantly zeroed-in on him. Spark gasped lightly. He'd expected the Professors, or Nurse Joy, or Blanche to be held under guard, but the room was filled with Trainers from all three teams, and a couple of visitors unlucky enough to be in the mix. All of their Pokeballs had been confiscated and were piled in the corner, guarded by the wall of a muscled Machop and a sharp-clawed Kingler. It looked like he'd have to change his plan.

“Spark!” An Instinct member cried out in joy. “You're alive!”

A Mystic teammate covered his face. “Get out of here, now!”

“Run!” A Valor member shouted. “It's a trap!”

Spark turned around, but one of Team Rocket's Arboks blocked the door. He backed up into the main square. Ai growled at his side. 

“Wow. That was easiest catch in history,” a Team Rocket member laughed. “You just walked right into a next of vipers. Literally.” More of the enemy team's Pokemon surrounded him, making the Trainers back up onto the couches and against the walls. 

“This is one of the team leaders,” a Team Rocket woman with long curly blond hair secured in a pony tail at the nape of her neck slapped the back of her right palm against the chest of her companion who spoke up first. “If we have him, then we have his Legendary. We'll take it, his Pokemon, and him at the same time to the boss.” 

“And the reward for obtaining a Legendary will be ours.” He stepped forward confidently and held out his golved hand, palm up. His fingers waggled impatiently. “Hand over your Legendary and all of your Pokemon.”

Spark held up the bottle. “Nah, I don't think. I'm kind of attached to them.” He held it out like an offering, then rapidly flung the water out of the bottle in a shimmering arch over his head. “Ai! Thunderbolt!”

“Teooooon!” Simultaneously, his Jolteon's body lit up with electricity that shot into the water. As it fell, power conducted through the drops to each Pokemon and Team Rocket member it hit. The Trainers ducked, crying out, but none were hurt. Spark's aim localized to the tight ring of enemies surrounding him. Thanks to their advancement on him, they had pushed those he wanted to save out of harms way. Even he was hit with it, but years of working with electric Pokemon, and the insulation in his clothing kept the effect at a slightly jarring, but tolerable level. 

He exhaled, breathing heavily to calm his heart and let his system recover. He grinned, proud of himself, and scratched his Jolteon's head. “You did it, Ai.”

The aftermath filled the room with the moans of the defeated trainers and Pokemon sprawled across the floor. The Trainers gawked in a brief moment of silence, then ran to free their companions. Multiple 'popping' sounds reverberated through the area as one after another released their Pokemon to contain Team Rocket.

Sam pushed through and stared up at his team leader. “Spark, you have to get to the gym right now!” 

His eyebrow arched questioningly. 

A Mystic team member joined him. She'd been in the annex waiting room with a handful of others when the battle deal was struck. “Someone named Aurora challenged our Leaders to a fight, including you.”

“Evil Blanche.” Spark's jaw clenched. 

“Yeah,” Markus spoke up. “She said you had until sun down to show up, or you forfeit your chance to fight. If you're not there, and Team Rocket somehow wins, they're taking Harmony Center.”

He exhaled. “This day just keeps getting better.”

“We've got it here,” Markus assured him. “Run. You only have a few minutes left.”

Spark nodded, clapped him on the shoulder, and raced down the halls toward the gym, praying he wasn't too late. 

Ai stayed at his heels, loyal, and sharing his urgent race against time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm loving all the comments. :D Thank you for reading this story. You guys are amazing, and you are the ones giving me the drive to continue. This was extremely hard to write, because one of my downfalls is battle scenes.
> 
> Who is Shiro, you ask? Well... you'll find out. ;) 
> 
> Again, thank you so much for your support. I love you guys. :D  
> If anyone has any artwork, please feel free to share it. I love art, and I will give you credit and honorable mention, as well as a link to your stuff. 
> 
> This chapter was inspired by Surficage's artwork. I highly recommend you visit her page. She's an amazing artist: surficage dot net ((I had to spell it out since A03 frowns upon links.))


	9. True Like Instinct

**Chapter 9: TRUE LIKE INSTINCT**

Candela heeded her with the slow bravery of challenging an angry Arcanine, "I don’t know how you survived, Aurora, but here you are; alive, whole…” she returned a thick heated, competitive stare to her new enemy, “…and flying the banner for Team Rocket.”

“Team Rocket suits me.” She handed the Pikachu's containment unit to Clyde, who held onto it like a golden gym badge, and tilted her hand in a snide, matter-of-fact way. “Venusaur. Razor Leaf.”

“Charizard, Flamethrower!” Candela commanded.

Fire gushed from the winged Pokemon’s jaws right at Venusaur, surrounding the grass type in flames. Its attacking leaves turned to ashes.

It cried out in pain, stumbling back into a cluster of rocks. Smoke ringlets curled up from the charred flower on its back. It staggered in a lazy, drunken spiral. 

Candela took advantage of the moment of imbalance. “Charizard, attack!” 

At the command, the massive winged beast flapped its wings hard, flew up, and dove.

“Venusaur, Bind!” Aurora called. 

It barely managed to avoid a direct hit, and wrapped its vines around Charizard, tying its wings to its side and slamming it into the ground.

“Good job, Venusaur,” she praised. Her Pokemon wavered, weakened from the fight, but held strongly to the muscled flying lizard.

Bonnie took her chance to step in. “You brought a fire Pokemon to a water fight? All brawn and no brains.” She laughed, and thrust her arm out. “Shellder! Water Gun! Take it out!”

Candela's jaw dropped as the stream of blue water rammed into her Charizard repeatedly, hardly giving it time to form a counter attack. It roared in pain, straining to free itself from the vines. “Charizard, Fire Spin!”

The attacks angered its pride as well as harmed its body. The orange lizard reared its head up and began spinning against the vines. It tangled itself up more, but in the process, it took the Venusaur with it. Venusaur yelped as it rolled right over the Shellder, ending its hose-down. Both engulfed in a spiral of flames. 

“Saur!” The Venusaur leaped into the cool, inviting water to sooth its burns. 

The Shellder lay there daze and burned, but not out. 

Charizard forced itself to its feet against the protest of its muscles. The combined attacks had weakened it. 

“Sandshrew!” Clyde turned to his Pokemon, who still lay sprawled on the ground from being hit in the previous attack. Only it wasn't badly injured—it was taking a nap. “Don't just lie there sleeping. What are you, a Snorlax? Get in there and use Sandstorm!”

The Sandshrew rolled to its feet, yawned, and cracked its neck. “Shreew!” Its clawed hands dug up dirt and rocks, and sent it sailing into the fire type. 

Tiny lashings from pebbles and sand bounced off its hide. Though the attack was annoying, and hindered its vision, it did very little damage.

Candela's face fell. "Really?" Was that all the third member of this team could muster? There was so much more he could do with a Sandshrew. Let it be noted; Clyde was an idiot.

Aurora face palmed. "Clyde, I said bring your A-game, you nitwit, not your house pet!"

"He wanted to fight. How can you say no to that face."

She folded her arms. "It's easier than you think."

“Charizard, Wing attack.” Candela ordered out sympathy for the poor thing. 

Charizard beat its wings furiously, creating a gust that blew the Sandshrew right off its feet, into a little ball, and rolled into its next nap. 

Clyde ran over to lift it up. It mumbled faintly to him. “You told me you could handle this fight! What happened?" He sighed. "Next time, pal. Oh, all right, fine. You can take a nap.” He recalled it to its ball and clipped it to his belt, then took his third in hand. "So much for that sweet taste of victory." 

“Shellder, Ice Spear, now!” Bonnie ordered. 

Charizard reeled from another assault, taken back to the ground in pain. There was no way it would let this tiny nutcracker of a Pokmon defeat it. It lifted its head, and let out one last powerful Flamethrower blast. 

“Keep it up, Charizard!” Candela cheered it on. “It's almost down.”

Shellder closed its shell, protecting itself, but the constant fire assault raged around it, slowly causing damage and stress to its shell. It cringed. It couldn't lose this fight for its master. It had to win.. it had to win.. win.. WIN! 

Bonnie gawked in awe as her Shellder began to glow like someone had lit it up with a solar beam. It's body twisted, grew, and morphed. Even Charizard stopped in curiosity. 

“It's... evolving,” Blanche muttered. “Candela,” she grimaced, pushing herself up out of the Professor's lap to her hands and knees, trying to stand. All her friend had to use were Fire Pokemon. “Regroup. Get...out of there...” She slumped over into the Professor's arms. 

His concern met hers equally. Both knew this would be Charizard's last battle, and both knew there was nothing illegal about a Pokemon evolving during a match. 

The light flared, then died. “Cloyster,” the Pokemon hissed its name. Jagged edges speared out from its tough shell in dangerous spikes. A diamond-hard horn jutted out from above the grinning black pearl sheltered within double layers of shell. It floated strong just above the ground, ready to fight.

“Shellder!” Bonnie's eyes lit up with hearts. “You evolved! You're the best!” She jumped up and down like an excited toddler with a new toy. “Now, make mamma proud! Let's teach that overgrown yard lizard a lesson in dealing with water Pokemon. Use Supersonic! Follow up with Hydro Pump, now!”

Sonic rings exuded from the Cloyster, engulfing its target. It grinned as the Charizard swayed in confusion. 

Charizard shot fire blast after fire blast at where it thought the Cloyster stood. 

The Professor crouched over Blanche to push her and her Vaporeon down away from a stray rocket of flame. 

“Charizard! Stop!” Candela ordered. 

It didn't have much time to respond to its trainer before the Hydro Pump attack slammed into it, and pushed it back into the water with a massive 'splash!' Waves crashed over the land side, and rocked the floating platforms on the water side. It roared in pain of both damaged pride, injured body, and shame. 

Rather than let her Pokemon faint, Candela wiped at her lip, then held out the pokeball. "Return." The beam encapsulated the tired fire type and pulled it back into its warm safety. “Good fight. Get some rest.” She clipped it to her belt and marched up to Aurora. “Three against one! What part of this makes for a fair fight? I thought you were all about honor and pride, Aurora.”

“It is a fair fight.” Aurora met her animosity with her own. “Blanche and the village idiot could be helping you right now, but one is licking her wounds, and the other isn't here.”

Candela's Jaw clenched, but she held back the urge to break this pretentious woman's nose. Instead, she turned and glanced back at Blanche and the Professor. “Blanche, are you all right?”

“She needs medical attention,” Professor Willow lifted her into a sitting position. He knew it wasn’t just the physical lacerations affecting her strength; she would make herself fight through it in any other circumstance. Her mind was fighting through the joy of seeing her twin sister again after so long, of knowing she survived the fight at the Fire Island temple, and of seeing her fall so deeply into darkness like this. Being forced to fight her sister instead of embrace her dealt its own damage to Blanche,…and to himself.

Aurora recalled her Venusaur and held out her third and final poke ball. “Make this easy on my baby sister and just forfeit.”

“We fought on the island together. What is your problem?! You were my friend!”

“Friend...” Aurora's jaw tightened around the vile taste of that word in her mouth. “We were both on that island for the same reason.” Her hand tightened around the pokeball. “And you stole it from me.” She held out her hand, palm up. “Give it to me.”

“Let me think,” she tapped a finger idly to her lips. “How about ‘no.” Candela readied three poke balls, ready to throw.

“I wouldn’t release all of the Pokemon in your hands if I were you.” Aurora advised. “Unless you want to forfeit this fight." She gave an invitational smirk, like she expected her to make that mistake. 

“She's right,” Professor Willow spoke up. “You, Spark, and Blanche can only use three Pokemon. If any of you break the rules, Team Rocket wins.”

One of the Pokeballs she held released her Flareon. The fire Eevelution ran a circle around her. “Flareon, guard Blanche and the Professor. Make sure nothing hits them. Ok, girl?”

“Flare! Flare flare!” Of course it would agree to help its Trainer and its other friends. It bound across the water side from platform to platform until it reached the one the two Humans occupied. Though it was surrounded by its weakness on a limited space, it would do everything it could to keep them from harm. 

Blanche's hand tucked into her jacket to the ultra ball hidden there. A sudden rush of impatience to release the titan inside gushed through her body. Yet from it came something unexpected; a warm wash of strength flowed from her heart into the rest of her. She'd never felt anything like that, but it was comforting, and let her know she wasn't fighting alone.

One more shot should be enough to tempt her sister to give up her secret. “Go!” Aurora threw the pokeball belonging to her final combatant into play. “Gyarados!”

The beam of energy grew, converged, and finally solidified into a beast. Her Gyarados splashed into the water, creating waves that crashed over the side platforms. 

Aurora locked vicious eyes on her target when Candela grudgingly returned her last pokeballs to her belt. This was her game, and she, it's master. “I've been looking forward to this for a year. You have one Pokemon left.” 

“I only need one.” She took the bait. 

These three filled her with just enough umbrage to justify destroying the land side of the gym floor. Candela focused on the the roar of the fire, and the rain of embers that would cascade from the sky over the smarmy Rocket minion wearing the face of her former friend. A devilish curl lifted the edges of her lips as her finger pressed the 'release' button of the ultra ball cupped in her red-gloved palm, and tossed it into the darkening sky. "Bring it on. Moltres!" 

A red beam of light punched through the skylight. It swirled together within its own heatwave, brightened, and exploded. The suffocating heat simply lived around Candela without harm. A steady, soft glow the shade of hot coals lit up her irises, making it appear as though the fire exuded from within her.

Great flaming wings expanded from the starburst energy, flickering through shades of oranges and reds as it solidified into the personification of cleansing fire. It held no malice for murder, only passion to fight, to win, and to protect. 

Moltres hovered above the Human it chose, bridled only by the bond to its Human's heart. It let out a fierce screech holding the powerful presence of a forest fire within its sound.

Professor Willow thanked every mythical being in creation that he’d left the retractable rooftop open today.

Aurora's eyes lit up at the sight of the great bird of legend. At last, after a year, she finally had a second chance. This time, she was more prepared. 

She had a feeling Bonnie's Shellder would evolve during this fight. She'd watched her teammate train that water Pokemon for months and kept tabs on its status, how much effort it took to remain in a fight, and calculated its possible multiple breaking points to evolution. It was a gamble, but one she had to risk. 

Aurora reached her black-gloved hand out at Moltres as if to grasp the leash of air warmed around it. It was beautiful. Its dangerous flames flowed in a lambent dance across its wings, crest, and tail. Whether they walked out of here with the keys to Harmony Center or not, by the end of this battle, Moltres would be hers; the twins of Fire and Ice—as it should have been from the start. 

“Are you sure we can take down a Legendary, boss,” Bonnie stepped up next to her with Cloyster at her side. 

“Yes.” Spark wasn't here, so her plan to weaken their power was working perfectly. 

Bonnie's third Pokemon joined the battle. “Tentacruel, go!” She tossed her pokeball into the air, releasing the squid-like water creature into the pool. 

“Gyarados, let's bring it to the ground.” Aurora's command held confidence. “Hydro Pump. Now!” She clenched her fist. 

The water Pokemon burst up through the pool to expel a jet of high-powered cold liquid straight at the flying legendary. 

“Tentacruel, use Poison Sting! Cloyster, Hydro Pump!” Bonnie set her two to attack the flying fire type along side. 

“Moltres, Agility! Flamethrower!”

Moltres wove through the air, avoiding the water attacks and sending in its own. Flames peppered the water. 

Aurora's hand flicked to Clyde. “Keep my twin busy.”

Clyde chucked his third and last Pokemon into battle. “Arbok! I choose you!” 

The massive snake coiled up from its energy beam. “ch'Arbok!” It hissed, showing its evil-eye markings on its fan and staring down the two Humans and the Flareon with intimidation. 

“Arbok, Poison Sting!” Clyde jumped to a water platform in excitement. His Arbok stayed on the land at the edge, and released a barrage of noxious needles past him to the people on the platform. 

The Flareon jumped from side to side, burning the needles before they could reach the Humans. It was enough to keep it on its toes, but that was it. Per Aurora's instructions, the attack was simply meant to 'keep them busy.' 

Flareon's fire spiraled in a plume to the land, engulfing the barbs and slamming into Arbok. The snake hissed and rolled around in the dirt to smother the heat. 

“Flare...” Flareon dropped to the ground, victorious, but weak.

“Flareon,” Blanche carefully moved away from the professor so she could reach out for it and took it into her arms. Though Arbok had stopped its assault for now, some of the poison sting's barbs made it through. “You did well.”

It smiled up at her despite the poison and pain. It appreciated having its efforts recognized, even though it couldn't speak the Human language.

“Hold still.” Professor Willow took over its care and gently pulled one needle out of its skin. Immediately, he searched his pockets for an antidote patch to quickly apply it. He would have used this on Blanche, but the chemical make-up was created specifically for Pokemon, and would have a numbing affect on Humans only when it came into contact with the poison. Blanche wasn't poisoned, so using it would be futile.

As he treated the Flareon, a flutter of anxious energy suddenly encapsulated his heart. Professor Willow's fingers curled into his black and green shirt over the area. "Let them handle this," he whispered, then continued in a thought. _I have faith in them. Trust me._ His breathing evened out when the anxious energy subsided, though he agreed with it. He was nervous about the outcome as well. His team leaders had yet to fight along side their own Legendary.

The motion did not go unnoticed by Blanche. She glanced over, seeing his eagerness to join in the attack, but forced himself to restrain. His hand slipped away to return back to removing the needles. 

A few of the water attacks struck Moltres. It bucked, but remained airborne, refusing to give up. 

Candela flinched, buckling slightly. She felt weaker from her Flareon's defeat, and hated that she couldn't call her back. However, this sense was more powerful. The shock in her eyes radiated out as she slid one foot back. Her heart raced. She knew that a Pokemon and its Trainer would form a bond once they accepted each other,--as she'd felt that in the past. But she wasn't prepared for the strength of that bond in a Legendary. Moltres had never been wounded after she caught it at Fire Island.

Aurora then made a move that none had expected. For a brief moment, she caught the attention of her Gyarados as it dove away from Moltres' fire attack, and shifted it. She needed to keep her sister out of play. “Hyper Beam.” 

The great water beast's jaws opened, collecting energy into itself and forming a ball of pure power within. It built, thrived, and engorged with enough strength to blow a hole in the wall. This fight against Moltres was exactly what Aurora trained it for.

No one saw the yellow blur of a Jolteon run along the rounded sidelines to the land side with specific orders, nor did they notice the source of the rapid footfalls pounding across the silver hexagonal platform, or the owner launching themselves from it into the heart of battle. 

Logic told him this would hurt. A lot. But at that moment, Spark couldn’t care less about the logical part of his brain. That wasn't how he worked. He simply reacted on his first instinct. Listening to that voice—that vibe—had saved him, and aided him too many times in the past to ever be considered fluke decisions. 

The brilliant white burst of power exploded from Gyarados toward at the small rectangular platform holding the two Humans and two Eevolutions. 

Spark landed directly in front Blanche and the Professor, becoming point zero. _Protect them. Protect my family!_

The beam rammed into the platform. To the surprise of those cringing in anticipation on it, and those gawking from outside, the energy impacted a single area, then ballooned out around an invisible barrier. It lasted three seconds. 

That single area...was Spark. 

Those were the longest three seconds of his life. Spark's breath hitched, his stomach ached from the hot pain at the nape of his back that exploded along his nerves, and his limbs lost their tension. He dropped to the ground. He could hardly do more than gasp, but at least they were safe. Getting shocked didn't seem to so bad in comparison.

Professor Willow's jaw slacked. For Spark to be able to pull off that move, meant he'd met with the perfect criteria. While he was in the woods, Zipper must have used 'Protect' to guard him, and he would have needed to suffer even a momentary state of unconsciousness. Spark, himself, took a portion of the damage, but the rest was negated. It was fantastic, but knowing the boy blacked out solidified the need to have him fully scanned in Medical after this for any injuries.

“Spark!” Candela jumped across the platforms to the one the three were on. She sat him up. “What were you thinking?”

“Ow, my everywhere.” he grunted, getting his breath back under control. His stomach turned. “I'm gonna puke.” 

“Oh god, please no,” Candela's eyes widened in alarm. She almost let him fall. 

“Are you ok?” Blanche held onto her Vaporeon as she straightened to kneel in front of him, disbelieving what she saw. “What did you do?” 

“I dunno, but it hurt.” He groaned. 

“Soul's Protect,” Professor Willow muttered, completely fascinated and in awe. “I'd heard about it, but never got to witness it before. Amazing. How do you feel?”

He sat up, cringing in pain. “Like a Snorlax sat on me.” He took a few breathes. A pulse of warmth flowed from his heart, along his limbs, and gave his muscles strength. He wasn't sure where it came from, but he was grateful for it. “Did I make it in time?”

Blanche glanced to the sky as the day lost to the night, then back. “Yes,” she breathed. “Although it isn't the best strategy to wait for the absolute last minute.”

He smirked in a light chuckle. “Well, you know me. Gotta have that heroes entrance. Ow.” His gaze shifted to the land side beyond the water, and the three figures climbing back up to the proper Trainer's hexagon station away from the danger zone. 

Aurora looked as surprised as the Professor, but not for the same reason. “How did you get out of that cave?” 

“I had a little help.” He stood, wobbled, and braced himself on Candela's outstretched arm, then locked his eyes on Team Rocket. 

“No one could help you,” she snarled. 

“You do remember what my team is all about, right?” He wrapped his arm across his ribcage and slumped, but did not lose his humor. “If someone told you to get a clue, you’d go to the store.”

Despite the dire situation, their injuries, and the rage washing off Aurora like a sunflare-melted iceberg, Bonnie and Clyde erupted into fits of laughter. Even Candela snickered behind her hand. Blanche just lifted her eyebrow with a barely discernible amused head-tilt.

“That’s not funny!” Aurora shot.

A small yellow dart caught in her peripheral. 

“Huh?” The three enemy team members turned at the new threat charging from behind. “Wah!” They hit the floor as Spark's Jolteon, Ai, shot a thunderbolt skimming inches over their heads. 

Ai pounced onto Clyde's back, ripped the strap holding Zipper's container free with its jaws, and leaped down to the ground.

Aurora got to her feet. “Don't let it get away!”

“Arbok,” Clyde shouted, “Use acid!”

“Ai, Agility! Dodge!” 

All three commands overlapped one another. With the scared Pikachu's cage swaying from its mouth, the Jolteon darted from side to side, launched into the air, and bounded across the floating rectangles back to her Trainer. She leaped and dodged in and out of attacks meant to stop her like a flame in the wind.

Spark reached out to her as soon as she landed, fell to his knees, and ruffled the fur of her face. “Good work, Ai. There's a pile of poffins waiting for you after this.” He pressed his forehead to Ai's briefly before taking Zipper's container from her. 

As soon as he opened it, Zipper leaped happily out right onto his Human's chest. “Pika!”

“Zipper!” Spark dropped the unit and wrapped his arms around his Pikachu, his long-time friend. It rolled into the water and sank uselessly to the bottom of the pool. He held on tightly. “Can you forgive me, little dude?” 

“Pi pikachu! Pika!” Zipper was too overjoyed to be reunited with his Human to care about the circumstances that caused their separation. He'd zap him later, but of course he forgave him. 

Spark felt the warm wash of energy spread through his core once more and used that to stand. He looked to the Professor, Blanche, Candela, and turned to their enemy. 

Blanche would ask him about what happened later. Right now, she and her fellow leaders had a gym to defend. She finally recalled her Vaporeon to its pokeball and slowly got to her feet. The time for stalling had ended. She withdrew the ultra ball from her jacket pocket and held it out to her side. “Articuno,” her breath held the whisper of a winter breeze. “Come.”

The ball clicked opened on its own. Crisp wind rushed around her, combed through her loosed hair from its ponytail, and ruffled her clothes. The cold nipped at her skin, but didn't harm her. The power through their bond lit up her irises to the blue of a sunlit frozen pond. It chilled the air in a trail spiraling upwards that bloomed in a snowflake, flared, and solidified into the majestic sleek form of the legendary bird of ice. 

Candela shivered. “I should learn not to stand so close to you when you summon that thing.” 

“Likewise,” she agreed. “Articuno, use Blizzard. 

Moltres flew up out of the way, though did not like forfeiting its airspace to the majestic Ice legendary. It squawked in disapproval.

A gust of cold power swept across the water, freezing the surface into a slick, wavy sheet. 

“Gyarados, use Ice Fang!” Aurora still wanted to salvage her victory. If anything, she would make it out of there with Moltres. She snarled at her sister with the same vengeance reserved for Persians hunting annoying, small rodents.

"Follow up with Hydro Pump!"

Gyarados crashed through the ice, sending ragged shards sailing across the expanse. It whipped its wide blue head around and let fly razors of ice power curling in the air up toward Moltres. 

It took the hit, crying out, and instantly release a needle-fire of embers at Gyarados. The damage was enough to send it back under water, but not enough to stop it. The Hydro Pump that followed struck Moltres in the chest.

A muscle in Candela's cheek twitched. He heart raced, like she was the target instead of her Legendary. 

“Tentacruel! Water gun!” Bonnie shouted. 

“Ice Beam!” Blanche countered.

Spires of ice burst up from the water like teeth, filling the air with its deep, cracking voice. Even the dirt wasn't safe from succumbing to the beam. 

Gyarados hit the water, sinking beneath to return its attack. The ice impacts were not super effective, but--like its Hydro Pump attack on Moltres--multiple hits added up. 

The flames from Moltres leaped and twirled before cascading down over the ice.

“Again!” Blanche called out. The deepest cut from the razor leaf on her face began to openly bleed, staining her jacket collar red into the cold. 

“Professor, it's not going to be safe here in a moment,” Spark said. 

Having an idea of what he was going to do, Professor Willow picked up the Flareon, and hopped across the floating platforms to the blue curved edge jutting out. It was slippery from the ice. His feet scrabbled for bearings and he caught the edge before he could fall into the water. The Flareon melted the path just wide enough for him to stand. “Thanks.” He ran to the viewing walk ring around the gym floor, and climbed over to the other side. From there, he watched Spark tap Blanche on the shoulder lightly, saw her nod once, look to Candela—who mimicked the affirmative—and step away.

Aurora's eyes narrowed as Spark left Blanche's side, jumped to an iceberg, slipped, but stood. His Pikachu stayed with him. She folded her arms and stared him down past the battle of giants careening into the ice, breaking up the surface of the pool into micro icebergs, and attacking each other once more. Tentacruel and Gyarados kept up their assault on Moltres—their only orders: bring it down. Despite Articuno's powerful attempts to thwart them, they repeatedly took shelter beneath the water. 

Spark withdrew the black and yellow ultra ball from his jacket pocket, turned it slightly, and held it down at his side. He said nothing.

Aurora didn't know the perpetual goof-ball held the ability to match her seriousness with his own daggers. This was a sight, she realized, she didn't want to see. It hit her then that the Spark locked inside that stupid, smug, dorky grin knew a darkness all his own. For the first time since meeting him formally a year ago, she could see herself in his eyes. It angered her that he didn't seem to remember her. Unafraid, but now cautious, she lowered her arms. 

The past day flashed through her mind, and she gasped. Unknowingly, in her carefully plotted out plan of revenge, she had given him the tools he needed to fight back—his Pikachu protecting him, and Koffing's poison gas briefly knocking him out. “Soul's Protect,” she whispered. “Tch. Even using that, you shouldn't be standing.” Her voice rose, shouting her impossibility as its own weapon. “How are you conscious?! The damage sustained from a Hyper Beam would put you in the hospital!“

“Surprise,” Spark said. “It's been fun, but now you've got to go.”

A familiar jolt lit up in his mind. It left its fingerprint on his skin the day he'd first encountered it. He'd experienced it enough that mistaking it for anything else would be impossible. "Zapdos," he held the ball out. "Let's go!" The ultra ball in his hand opened on its own, spewing the energy into the pool-turned-ice-spire terrain.

Yellow light bled in to cover Spark's dark green irises, gradually giving life to a faint glow mirroring that of his friends'. His vision sharpened.

Lightning ripped through the air, flashing through the skylight in white gnarls like the curled branches of a corkscrew hazel tree. The Legendary bird's form crackled to life. Wings made of jagged yellow feathers exploded from it in every direction. It resembled a living static shock. Zapdos cry sent threads of electricity lacing through light fixtures. 

The lights of the gym winked out, overloaded from the electricity, though not enough to affect the heavily insulated computer system. Just the lights. Blanche and Candela didn't flinch, but the Professor and Team Rocket hadn't expected that. 

The gym plunged into darkness. 

Thick fingers of electricity broke the graphite night in brief, brilliant parts for mere moments. Power striped across Zapdos steely eyes as it glared menacingly down at Team Rocket. They were responsible for the pain inflicted on its Human child. They would regret it. 

Zipper joined in, standing at his Human's feet, and powered up his strongest thunderbolt –easily done due to the amount of static charge in the room. 

Moltres and Articuno joined Zapdos in the air. Though they wanted to engage in battle between themselves, another force nearby but unseen kept them in harmony in tandem with their bonds to the hearts of their Human children. 

“Ready, Zipper?” Spark glanced down. 

Zipper crouched on all fours. Revenge would taste amazing--like ketchup. “Chu.”

Bonnie and Clyde hugged each other. “B-boss,” Clyde tried, “Maybe we should call it quits on this one.”

“Yeah,” Bonnie swallowed. “We came prepared to take down one Legendary bird, not three.

“Never!” Aurora shouted her command. “Gyarados! Hyper Beam!”

Despite the danger of facing down three Legendary Pokemon, Gyarados released one last Hyper Beam at the most present threat: Zapdos. 

Zapdos took the hit, pushing it backwards with a squawk of pain. 

Aurora grinned when she saw Spark slump, and realized why he was even on his feet. “I see.” She said. The amount of damage he took from that hyper beam diluted through the shield affected him more than she'd though. “Gyarados, again! Zapdos is their link! Take it out!”

Beam after beam collided with the electric flying type. Spark dropped to one knee on the floating berg rocking in the unsettled waters. _Please listen to me just this once, Zapdos._ “Zapdos, use Thunder Wave. Zipper, Thunderbolt!” 

Tentacruel and Gyarados dove beneath the surface again, but the wave and lightning strike released by the sharp-taloned bird and the Pikachu washed through the water, paralyzing them. 

Blanche called out her order next. “Articuno. Blizzard! Freeze it!” 

Aurora's eyes widened. Both she and Bonnie tried recalling their Pokemon, but the beam from the pokeballs couldn't penetrate the ice. 

The ice-blue bird's power unfurled over the water like spilled paint on a waxed floor. The crashing waves chilled, freezing in razor-like arcs and trapping the older sheets of ice, and the two Pokemon below. Candela, Spark, Zipper, and the Professor shivered from a blast of frost that dusted their hair. 

“Now, Zapdos.” Spark stood, feeling that warm strength from his heart again. He pulled on it to remain standing. “Zap canon! Zipper, Thunderbolt one more time!” 

Zapdos circled the battleground, gained the right angle, and obeyed. A broad branch of lightning coursed down into the ice, exploding shards of frozen shrapnel through the open gym. Zipper's Thunderbolt attack joined in. The electricity scoured through the water into the two water Pokemon, coursing over their bodies in yellow threads. The whole pool and the ice on the land side lit up, turning the darkened room from night to day. 

The professor ducked with the Flareon and the Jolteon to avoid being hit by the ice. Jolteon's discharged Pin Missiles destroyed any that flew too close. Candela and Spark ducked, but Blanche didn't even change her breathing. 

“Moltres, time for a K.O. Flamethrower!” Candela fought through her own weakness from the multiple attacks on her fire bird. "Give it everything you have!" 

Moltres was just as done with these idiots from Team Rocket as its Human. It called up all the energy in its core to the fury of a volcano, and let it explode in a rolling curl of blackened vermilion flames. It punched through the ice in a volcanic fist of rage. Ice splintered in angry veins, cracking, splitting, and screaming in hot geyers spewing up from the heat. 

“Spark!” Blanche saw the danger through her heightened vision, and completely disregarded her injuries. She ran out onto the ice with the perfection of an ice skater, avoiding the splits in the ice, grabbed Spark's arm and Zipper, and let the momentum carry the three of them into a crack that split wide open. 

Spark had enough presence of mind to click the button on the pokeball on his belt meant for Zipper. The energy beam recalled the little electric Pokemon into its keep. At least the environment within the pokeball would keep him safe. 

They plunged into the cold water a second before the flames rolled over the surface. 

The water turned from cold to a gradient heat in a thought. Blanche pushed both of them down until they nearly touched the bottom's fake ocean floor and hooked her right foot into a pock-marked stone. She held onto her friend tightly to keep him down and both looked up at the dark blaze shredding the ice and turning the blue water to a varicolored myriad of warm red-orange hues. The roar of the flames muffled through the water to their hearing with the violent death throws of the ice field over their heads. 

He watched Blanche surrounded by the billow of her white hair, but could do nothing else. Her glowing eyes in the water made her even more surreal. She was in her element, and she was amazing. Just like Candela out there commanding that inferno. He started to kick up to the surface for air when his lungs began to ache, but she pulled him down, removed a small black rebreather unit from her pocket, and put it into his mouth. The pressure in his lungs eased when he could finally breathe....under water. 

He immediately went to remove it to give it to her, but she pushed his hand down, shook her head from side to side, and pulled him in close so their ears touched. She could feel his need to return to the surface, but even touching the upper layer of water right now would end in burns. She needed to keep him down a little longer away from the flames. She could hold her breath for a long time. She was a water Pokemon trainer after all.

At this close proximity, he was sure she could feel the thunder of his racing heart. He finally gave in, stopped fighting, and let his limbs relax to trust her completely. They floated inside the calm of the pool beneath a blanket of fire and ice.

His friends—his family—were amazing.  
\------  
“Spark? Spark.”

The one saying his name let him remember a bit of wisdom Professor Maple had once said when he was little. _'When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You know your name is safe in their mouth.'_ With this person, he knew that was true.

He didn't pass out, but he did feel weak.

All he could do was feel; the cold of the icy ground, the heat of his breath, and the gentle touch of someone's hand brushing through his hair. He lingered on the last one as much as he could. What a wonderful feeling. The touch held love, familiar and familial. He held onto this moment tightly, for the last time he'd experienced something so warm was on his ninth birthday on Hamlin Island; the day before his world changed. He didn't want to open his eyes just to see how long it would last. 

He dared to let light in anyway to power the headache, and cringed. He let himself enjoy the sight of a blurry but concerned set of glowing, iceberg-blue eyes behind straight strands of thin, red-tinted white hair. 'Hang in there, Spark,' he heard Blanche say. Due to her eyes, he knew she had yet to recall Articuno. All three of them found the occurrence with their irises disorienting at first, and had to practice using it. It took time to get used to it, but sometimes the switch would still throw him off.

"Did we win...?" He strained to make the words recognizable. Blanche's voice responded softly. 

She returned the smile in kind. “Yes. We won.” She paused, keeping her voice light. “Though putting yourself in danger like that is not a very good tactical move.”

A small snerk left his tired voice. “Well, you know me. Always gotta make a heroes exit.”

Candela stood over him. Her eyes were still red as well. She folded her arms. “Is he alive?”

Blanche nodded to her. “He will live.”

“Good.”

“Awe, you do care,” he grinned. Since he hadn't called back his legendary Pokemon, either, he could bet his eyes were all creepy glowey, too. If it was dark in here, he couldn't tell.

Candela knelt down, gently ran her hand over his hair, then lightly tapped her palm against his face. “Come on, get up. You're scaring Blanche.”

He sat up and rubbed the back of his head. “How many times am I going to have to go through this is one day?” 

“Walk it off, buttercup,” Candela gave him a reassuring grin and patted him on the back. “You'll be fine. You're tougher than you look. Now, if you'll excuse me, there's a face I need to rearrange.” She cracked her knuckles and marched away. 

He looked up and watched all three legendary birds circle inside the gym, entwining their lazy paths within one another. 

“Next time you're upset with us about something, talk to us. We'll listen,” Blanche said. “You can do whatever you want with your video.” 

“My video...” His bright yellow eyes became as big as dinner plates. “My video! Ah, I totally forgot!” He patted himself down frantically, his palms slapping against the wet leather of his pants and jacket. “Awe man, my phone got wet.” He dropped his face to his palm. “Now, I gotta start all over,” he whined. 

Blanche supposed she should offer him a carrot for the day he'd had. “When we all get out of medical, you can use my lab.”

“Really?” He leaned forward, grinning broadly and blinking like someone just offered him ten pounds of free PokeTarts. 

“Yes,” she drew the word out, “really.” 

Spark snared her into a hug. “Thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you!””

“G'yuh!” She pushed at his shoulders, trying to get away from the uncomfortable scene. “Personal space, Spark. You're injured. Don't make me add to it.”

Candela took her long-legged stride across to the land side where Team Rocket were picking up their water-logged bits and pieces. Their Pokemon returned to their pokeballs, and they were trying to stand without falling over. 

"Aurora! You want to fight for Moltres, let's do this one on one. Just us." Her foot slid back as her fists rose to the pose a fighter.

Aurora breathed hard. Her Gyarados beat-down took a toll on her, and she's suffered cuts and bruises from being thrown by the electricity, ice, and fire. She knew she couldn't beat Candela in a fist fight. The woman endured blazing heat, had made her body hard as an Onyx' core, and pain to her was more an annoying itch than a debilitation until something broke. Despite her curves and soft skin, Candela, Leader of Valor, was a tank.

Aurora's fingers clenched into a ball, pushing through her trepidation as she pulled her arm back, but the hand of her teammate gripped her shoulder. 

"Aurora," Bonnie halted her. "It's over. We lost."

Aurora pulled herself free and closed the distance between herself and the Valor leader. She stared inches away from the other's illuminated red spheres. "I never lose, Candela," she snarled. Her hissed words laced with poison. "I'm only ever detained."

Candela breathed hard through her nose. She wasn't a stone-hearted woman. Aurora was hurt and betrayed, and that's why she lashed out. The part of her that wanted to mend their friendship reached out in the truth. “Moltres chose me. Not you. The reasoning for that lives with Moltres alone, and maybe Arceus. All we can do is accept it and play guessing games.” She lowered her voice. “I'm sorry for what you went through, Aurora. I am.”

Aurora's shoulders relaxed. She was beaten. She'd been called out on her bull, and she was wrong. Her pride swelled in anger, and she wanted to slap that heartfelt expression off Candela's face. She turned to the only coping mechanism that worked for her throughout her life, and fired shade; her aggression. “Your sympathies are as meaningless as the friendship you thought we had. Keep your olive branch to yourself.”

“What about your sister? What about Blanche?”

Aurora's jaw locked. “My sister is now up there with my father. I was lost to them. Now they are lost me.”

“Boss, you're not helping. Please stop.” Bonnie ushered her teammate away before she could start another fight. “We'll see ourselves out,” 

Candela lowered her fists and exhaled. She did notice one thing as Team Rocket walked away per their agreement: the one pokeball Aurora clutched protectively in her hand was the only one she hadn't allowed to faint during the fight—her Eevee.

She glanced upward at the three birds of Legend, and raised up her ultra ball to recall hers. Moltres returned in a flare of brilliant red energy. She sighed in contentment. That warm mark connecting them in her heart remained. “Thank you, Moltres.” 

Professor Willow ran to the curved side platform where Blanche had pulled the Instinct leader from the water. He knelt down and caught Spark's hand before he could recall his Legendary. “Hold it, son.”

“Huh?”

“Don't return it. Not yet.”

“Why?” 

He looked to the room, then lowered his voice. “Let's just say its the only thing keeping you on your feet right now. I'll explain the rest later.” 

Spark wondered why that would be a problem, but the look on the older man's face held no room for tolerating rebellion. And frankly, he was too tired to try. He looked over as Zapdos settled on the blackened earth of the land half of the gym floor. It folded its wings in, though still intimidating, and squawked like it agreed with the Professor. The lights turned back on once the Legendary bird calmed down. Spark nodded. “All right, whatever you say. You're the doc, doc.” 

Professor Willow sighed in relief. “For once in your life, I'm glad you listened to me.”

Blanche recalled Articuno. As soon as it entered the ultra ball, her eyes returned to normal. She studied her companion, then regarded the Professor. “I think I see what you mean, based on the previous moments from the hyper beam, his actions, and his reactions in the water, it seems possible. I would like to assist in studying this, if you don't mind, Professor. I...,” she looked to land side of the gym and stared after her sister with hollow, haunted eyes. “I need a distraction.”

Professor Willow nodded in understanding. “Of course.”

He watched the young man release his Pikachu from its pokeball only to be pounced on, then turned his head to watch Team Rocket walk out of sight. He just wished he could add one more back to the research team. 

A thread of curses unraveled in Professor Willow's mind like a dropped skein of yarn, but did not slip from his tongue. Despite Aurora's actions, her heat-filled hatred for both himself and Blanche, and her complete disregard for her past, he couldn't speak them. How could he? She had gone through her own hell, and he had to respect that. What kind of man would he be if he didn't.

During the battle, many of the Trainers had liberated themselves from Team Rocket's hold, and were in the upper levels away from immediate danger and watching the fight. The number of spectators massed in the dozens, but the room was silent. They had all wanted to see the Legendary Pokemon in action, but none could guess the magnitude of awesomeness and grandeur. To think that three tiny Humans could capture and control the titans of legend...well, it was an idea to laugh at. 

No one witness to this day would ever laugh at an idea like that again. 

((TBC))

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone to sticking with this. It's a little late, and I apologize for that. I started a new 8am-5pm job that means I have to get up at 6am to get home by 6:30pm, so for the past week I've been absolutely dead. The new job is forcing me to change my entire living habits: sleeping, eating, recording, and writing habits. and I am the antithesis of a morning person.
> 
> And now, to continue the story. I swear I will have answers for you. There's going to be a huge info dump next chapter.


	10. The Aftermath

**Chapter 10: The Aftermath**

_1am..._  
Professor Willow slumped in the chair behind his messy office desk with a weary sigh that left him like a deflated balloon. The chair's joint creaked from his weight. He almost chuckled at that. Here he had a brand new shiny facility, new furniture in his room, squeaky clean lab equipment and medical unit, and here his chair already threatened to give in from the pressures of his job. 

His office was spacious, sleek and warm in both color selection and atmosphere. It boasted a couple of round chairs set for guests, a large bin off to the side filled with empty pokeballs, a bookshelf harboring various books and files, a music player, and a few of his personal items from when he transferred all of his work from home to this facility. It had that new-car smell. After a month of settling in, he almost had all of his boxes unpacked. Almost. A few of them still served as impromptu side stands. Still, it finally looked more like an office than a storage room. 

His desk even had a toy Electrode he could shake to reveal answers to his questions etched into a triangle floating within a bubble of water. 

Professor Mark Maple, one of his closest colleagues, had given it to him a year ago during the annual Pokemon Researcher Conference on Shamouti Island. 

He picked up the toy Electrode ball and shook it. “Will I get to sleep tonight?” The triangle bobbed to the surface with the answer: 'Ask Again Later.' 

“Great. 'Lotta help you are.” In toy terms, that was a quantifying 'no.' 

He set it down and reached for a caramel flavored chewy candy in a Magikarp-shaped glass dish next to his computer. He crumpled up the cellophane wrapper into a green and gold wad and tossed it into the circular trash can at his left. Two points. He popped the candy into his mouth and let its sweet sugary flavor melt away the threat of yawning. 

Himself, the few resident professors, and the team leaders stayed up to get Harmony Center back under control after Team Rocket hauled their shame back to their trucks and left. This meant cleaning up, helping Nurse Joy care for the wounded Pokemon and Trainers, and--on his end--preparing a Notice of Attack for Officer Jenny. Ah, paperwork; the glorious pit of despair that sucked up the weary into documentation demanding to be filed in triplicate. 

Seeing as this was Harmony Center's first full scale attack for a complete submission of the facility to an outside force, --same with any gym-- there was a form to fill out, a detailed summary letter to provide, and signatures from the gym leaders agreeing with the contents of the letter. He'll have to get those tomorrow. Blanche had gone monk-silent buried in research, Candela was busy coordinating the trainers that volunteered to clean up the gym, and Spark was assisting Nurse Joy and Professor Tachikawa in the Pokemon and Human medical centers.

All the basic, bland bureaucracy necessary for running a research center and gym lay waiting, bestowed solely upon him. In retrospect, this was peanuts compared to the loops he had to jump through to obtain funding, permits, and clearance to get Harmony Center off the ground. After that, the rest was simply maintenance. Even with its size and fantastic amenities, Harmony Center was still young, hardly popular, and off of most everyone's radar... Except Team Rocket's. The moderately-sized town it lived on the outskirts of welcomed it, offered its help, brought a plate of warm cookies, and went about life as usual with their new neighbor. 

In a way, he thanked Arceus for that blessing. Since hardly anyone knew about Harmony Center, it meant that Team Rocket's actions here would not become the main topic of region-wide media gossip. They would make it to the News of Record at best. The last thing he wanted so early in Harmony Center's life was to have it gain a reputation as as Kanto's epicenter for double trouble. They could return to normal activities within days and stay small—for now.

Convincing everyone that Team Rocket was still welcome here would be the hard part. As long as they played nice, they'd be allowed to use the gym. Harmony Center left its doors open to all teams, and they weren't about to make exclusions now.

Many of the Trainers didn't want to leave. They stayed with their healing Pokemon. Those who did not subsist on coffee like himself, crashed out on the couches in the expansive main common room. Some who wanted more privacy made their beds for the night in the trainer waiting room by the gym, and some were allowed to couch surf in the rooms normally reserved for special guests and long-term residents. The professors who were awake forfeit their warm beds to tired trainers and their Pokemon. 

The morning would most certainly find the cafeteria full of zombies crowded around the breakfast bar for waffles, coffee, and bacon and eggs.  
He worried his 5-o'clock stubble with both hands, and was pretty sure the skin under his eyes carried a fair amount of luggage. It wasn't so much the hours that got to him as it was the events of the day--he'd pulled more all-nighters in his life than the number of empty pokeballs in the bin for transferred Pidgeys, after all. 

He got up, stretched, and moved to one of the boxes left in the corner labeled 'Personal' in black marker. He rummaged through the protective bubble-wrap filler until he dug out a 5”x7” photograph. Its polished, red, wood-stained frame safely enclosed a precious moment in time. 

He stared at it as he walked back to his desk and sat down. The three faces smiling back at him were a bitter sweet reminder of why he'd hidden this photo away in the first place. After today, the visages of this younger time might as well belong to different people. And yet, perhaps after today, it was time to bring this out into the light again. It was time to leave those mountains of regret behind and heal. 

He set it down next to the toy Electrode and moved to lean in the open doorway separating his office from his main lab. His eyes stayed on the hunched, slim form of the only other person in the room, who looked as tired as his chair sounded. 

Blanche poured her focus over a computer. Her Vaporeon curled up in a ball on the table next to her, wrapped in a blanket. She'd wanted her companion with her, and once Nurse Joy approved Vaporeon's release, Blanche had brought her here. Though it still needed to heal, the Vaporeon felt happy to be near her trainer and friend.

Since she wanted to help him research, staking out a swivel stool in his lab made sense. Though neither voiced it, they both wanted to be near someone familiar. 

Professor Willow delegated studying Spark's test results to her so he could get the paperwork done. She had said she'd needed a distraction, and analyzing the energy readouts from someone who achieved Soul's Protect while connected to a Legendary Pokemon was the perfect green light. 

She'd also scanned herself since Candela wouldn't have anything to do with a test until later. 'I'll be your lab rat after we get this place back to normal. You went through a lot. Pick this up tomorrow, ok, Blanche?' she'd said. Blanche appreciated the concern, but her way of dealing was to load up on work. She had to suffice with asking questions while her friend directed her team members and others in the clean up. 

All three had felt that warm energy pulse from their hearts during the fight, and she wanted to know how and why --as she did with everything.  
Professor Willow completely understood the need to occupy her mind until she was ready to face what happened. Blanche insisted that she was fine, that she was strong, but he had known her long enough to see she was hiding in her mind and in her work. Her silence and body language betrayed everything. He picked up another candy from the disk and walked into the main lab. 

The soft instrumentals and slow back beat of an emotional song sang softly from her computer. “That music probably isn't helping your mood.”

“I want it on.”

He held up a hand in forfeit to that battle. "Fair enough. I'm going to need your signature on this paperwork to Officer Jenny when you get a chance."

"Sure, ok." Her answer breathed more like an absent after thought.

"How's it coming along?" 

"It's interesting." She pulled up an animated chart of a yellow Human silhouette and a bird two times its size on the computer screen. A thick blue wave rippled around them like water. "This represents a flow of energy from Zapdos to Spark. We know the average level of this wave between a Trainer and their Pokemon is very, very low. Trainers don't even feel it. For myself, Candela, and Spark, it's more complicated, but still on a low, even spectrum. Hardly noticeable at all. Here, it spiked. Compared to our normal readings taken after we obtained them, this is five times as intense." Her finger touched the screen. "If we take this spectrum away to where we only see Spark's and not Zapdos', we get this." She clicked a button, and the blue wave collapsed to a low frequency, thin white thread pulsing through the center of the chart. "The level drops dramatically, indicating a state of great injury or unconsciousness."

Professor Willow's eyebrows migrated to his hairline. "He was unknowingly pulling aid from Zapdos?" This was truly fascinating.

"Or, Zapdos gave it willingly. Soul's Protect allowed him to take a portion of the Hyper Beam damage and deflect the rest. The whole blast would have likely taken out the platform we were standing on. Professor Tachikawa was right to ask you to stop Spark from recalling Zapdos so soon. She must have sensed that it was the only thing keeping him conscious until his own recovered.”

"Amazing."

"Considering it doesn't like to listen to Spark, yes. Agreed. It looks like your theory regarding our eye color shift bears merit, too. There's an increased flow to this...open channel whenever they leave their pokeballs. This definitely bears further study. I'd like to get Candela's information in here, but we'd need to strap her to a bed first."

"I'll see what I can do,” he chuckled, silently hoping she was joking. They all knew how the brunette felt about scans and needles. Dealing with a raging Dragonite was easier. “And I think I know a colleague to call in for some help with this, but that will have to wait." Professor Willow pulled up a chair to be on even level with his research assistant, and leaned forward with his hand clasped between his knees. "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine, Professor."

She answered like an automaton, and he noticed. "You had to fight your sister. We both thought she was lost forever." He made sure to send his next question through with as gentle a tone as he could. "I'm not asking as the head Professor of Harmony Center. I'm asking you one-on-one, no titles involved. How are you doing, Blanche?"

She exhaled, like his words lifted the weight stressing her bowed shoulders and back. The release dipped her forward to rest her head in her palms. "I can't think straight,” her voice quivered. “I hurt. I'm happy, sad, elated, scared... I want to destroy something and cry at the same time." She turned her head enough let him into her vision, and for the first time since the incident at Fire Island, she let a tear slide down her pale cheek. "She's ok," Blanche whispered. A tiny whimper escaped in her pained smile. "She hates me, but...she's ok."

His right hand moved to wipe away the tear, but he stopped himself. This just wasn't their way, but like he'd thought with the photograph, maybe it should be. Instead, he listened wholeheartedly. 

Blanche leaned up and wiped at her face. "She's not the sister I knew, I know this. If I had just tried harder to find her, maybe--"

"Stop it," Professor Willow cut off the line to her self deprecation. "You went back for her. You came back to Shamouti island covered in soot, dirt, and blood from your hands where the pumice stone of the volcano shredded your skin. You tried to use Articuno to help you, but it was too soon after its capture. It still harbored primal loathing for the other two, and the need to claim Moltres' territory as its own. It had not been with you long enough to pay any regard to anything it felt from your heart. Only later did it understand your pain and fully accept you.” He gave in to the need to comfort her and wiped away another stray tear. “You did everything in your power.”

She didn't move, turn away, or argue. She let herself be vulnerable to the only Human left in this world who truly knew her. 

"Blanche. Aurora's loss is not your fault. Ok?"

She nodded. She wiped at her eyes. This time, she put her strength back on through a deep breath. “I wanted her to know she's not alone.”

“That's why you brought up Shiro, isn't it.”

“That was a mistake. I thought I could get through to her, but I honestly don't know what I was thinking.”

“She never bought into that idea of him, did she.”

Blanche pushed her hair back. “No, even though we have medical evidence to prove he existed. It's in our blood. She could never accept that we were the survivors. She was always the stronger one. Including her stubborn streak.”

Professor Willow didn't have anything to add. This was an old conversation from years past, and it was rarely mentioned. There just wasn't a need. All knew there was a third male twin—a vanished twin. But Aurora denied it, and that was the end of it.

Blanche steeled her resolve to regain her composure from the rare breakdown. "I won't give up hope that my sister is still in there somewhere."

"I know you won't. Just be prepared to accept an outcome where she might not want to come home."

Blanche nodded again. 

"You know, I'm proud of the way you handled the situation," Professor Willow lightened his voice a little to salvage the heavy topic and handed her the candy. "You saved Spark's and Zipper's lives. You're a hero."

She snerked. "I wouldn't say that. I simply...reacted to the elements of the situation." She set the candy down to save for later.

"You simply reacted." He leaned back in the chair. "It looks like those two are starting to rub off on you after all."

Her fingers clicked against the keyboard in soft irritation as she closed the program. "Psychologically speaking, it is normal for a person to pick up minute personality attributes from others that constantly surround them. I keep hoping he'll adapt even a simple logical thought process from me."

"Give it time." He reached out to gently pet the sleeping Vaporeon. It made a soft purring-like sound in contentment. "Spark just has difficulty letting himself connect with people."

She arched an eyebrow. "How is that possible? He acts like everyone's best friend. He's goofy, makes knee-jerk decisions, has an endless array of bad jokes, laughs at the most inappropriate times... like Candela does...and thinks riding his wheeled sneakers along the rooftop observation ring is a good idea."

"Or in my lobby," Professor Willow grumbled.

Blanche continued. "A year ago, he turned around to smile at me and dab-salute before he fell backwards out of the plane to Lightning Island. At least I chose to let the plane land first. He and Candela jumped. Spark is impulsive, reckless, and --"

"Alone."

"..." Blanche's train of thought jumped the track, spilled over, and dumped her perfectly organized list into a mud puddle. “I'm sorry?”

The professor leaned forward again. If Spark didn't tell her, then it wasn't his place to say anything. “He has a reason for loving Pokemon as much as he does, and why he cherishes the people he lets into his life. It's also likely why he feels a connection with you." He stood, stretched, and headed for the door to the rest of the Center. He had to leave her with that, or fatigue may make him betray confidentiality with his other research assistant. "I'm going to check on Candela's progress in the gym. Gotta make sure she's not driving yours and Spark's team members into the ground." He pushed the door open. To save space, all of the laboratory doors on this floor slid on tracks.

"I'll give Spark the results of the test." It also bothered her that he didn't remember Aurora.

"Get some sleep, Blanche. You could use the rest."

"You, too." She swept her white ponytail back across her shoulder and sent her farewell with gratitude. "Thanks."

The faces on the recovered photograph lingered in his mind; his younger self smiling proudly with his hands resting on the small shoulders of two ten-year-old, winter-haired girls—both grinning broadly and holding their precious new Eevees in their arms. 

He accepted her warm egress with a return of solidarity, and left his daughter to finish her work. 

\----  
A subtle warm pulse flowed from his heart as he walked down the halls. He smiled at it softly. 

Professor Willow took his phone from his pocket, dialed a number so ingrained in his mind it was akin to knowing his birthday, and waited for the recipient to answer. Five rings later, he got his wish in a groggy, mumbled, highly irritated yawn. 

“It's 1am. Whoever you are, you'd better be offering me food, money, or se—“

“It's me, Maple Sorry to wake you up.” Professor Willow interrupted. 

“...” There was a pause, then a quick cover up, “Ignore that last part. What's got you brewing the midnight oil, Will?”

“Are you busy for the next few days?”

“Depends on what it is.” Professor Maple yawned. “I just got to sleep 2 hours ago, so this is the Mark Maple you get –all five-ten grouchy of me.”

He couldn't blame his friend. After all, if someone had awakened him from a good dream, he'd want to sic his Bulbasaur on them with vine whip until they curled up in a fetal position on the floor and begged for forgiveness. “Do you remember that vacation we took to Shamouti Island?” He could almost hear the other professor trying to wipe away the sleep from his eyes. 

Maple got up, scratched the mop of dark hair piled haphazardly on his head, and poured himself a cup of cold, leftover coffee abandoned for the night with his in-progress research. It was a warm night, so he'd crashed into bed in just his orange, pineapple-covered boxers. “They hold the conference there every year, Derpy McNumbnuts. Our specialty doesn't get much screen time. I go for the beaches and the bespectacled beauties. Nothing says 'hello, nurse' like a PHD in a bikini.” He leaned against the kitchen counter, keeping the phone tucked between his shoulder and his ear, and sipped from the mug. “Which one are you askin' about?' 

“The one that changed everything.”

“Oh.” he sobered up slightly. “That one. Yeah, I remember most of it. Why?”

Professor Willow hung back to let a pair of Valor trainers pass by in the hall. “It's about what happened on the boat; about Lugia's warning.”

The other professor fell silent, as did his jokes. His Raichu stretched out on the worn-out green couch facing away from the kitchen. It flopped its paws over the back to stare bleary-eyed at its Trainer. “Chu?”

He set the coffee down before he could drop the cup. “Are you sure?”

“Team Rocket attacked Harmony Center today. My assistants used their Legendaries to stop them and won.”

“That's good. That's the first time they've fought along side them, right?”

“Mmhmm. Blanche is analyzing the data from the battle, but she's pretty shaken up. Mark,” he paused, saying the next words punched it home that his daughter was found. “Aurora's back. And she was leading Team Rocket.”

“Aurora...?” He picked up the coffee and moved to sit next to his Raichu. “Sassy Cheeks, scootch'em.” The Raichu moved, then flopped over his lap to fall back asleep. Maple turned his attention to the worried man on the other end of the phone. “Will, are you ok?”

“I will be, but Lugia is restless. I surmise that incident it warned us about may be drawing closer.”

Maple sighed, resting his head back against the cushion. “Just beautiful. We started the Harmony project and the GO program to avoid that.”

“No, we started it because of that.”

“Right. That was a weird day, even by my standards. That was a long time ago, Will.” 

“I'll give you a few seconds to remember.”

Maple worried the bridge of his nose as he forced his tired brain to sift through the memories. 

They'd been out in the middle of the ocean searching for any trace of the underwater river that disrupted the weather patterns—thinking they could get some quick readings in before the next round of conference panels began, and then party the night away with the other scientists. 

They didn't find anything, but something found Willow during his dive. Willow's tank had run out of air due to a mysterious leak. Lugia had saved him and brought him to the surface. He remembered hearing a powerful voice in his head after he pulled his old friend back on board. 

Lugia had used Telepathy. 

Both had experienced it before, but it was still amazing to have somethings thoughts sent directly to his brain. Lugia had chosen them to warn of a light falling into darkness, and the chaos that would ensue. If the three birds of Legend could not gain empathy for Humanity before this time, their carelessness and violent primal rage would threaten the world once more. It told them that Moltres, Zapdos, and Articuno only saw chances to defeat one another and claim territory. They didn't care about the world or the people and Pokemon in it that suffered from their wrath. In order to keep it from happening, Lugia said they needed to understand the world and those in it—and to do that, they would need to be involved in it; to connect to the hearts of Humanity. 

Maple had been stunned, filled with questions, but Willow was the first to speak. 'I will find them,' he'd stood bravely on the deck. 'I will do whatever I can to make sure that doesn't happen.'

'Yeah,' Maple had agreed, filled with trepidation of what they were getting themselves into, and what he was promising a mythical Pokemon of legend. 'I'm in, too.'

Lugia had flown into the air, sending down a rain of sea water onto the small research boat. 'Then I will put my trust in you. I will lend you my aid and my strength.' 

He saw his friend stand there for a moment in silence, and then nod. Willow had then held out his hand and told Maple to get an empty ultra ball. Maple frantically dug through their small kit in the cabin, brought one out, and handed it to his friend. He'd watched in awe as Willow launched the ball into the air and captured the willing beast of Legend. As soon as the ball returned to his hand, he'd collapsed to his knees, clutching his heart. Maple had feared his long-time colleague had suffered a heart-attack, but Willow regained his balance and breathing. He said he was fine, and that Lugia would help him find the intended three Humans, and afterward, help keep the Legendaries in check. Lugia had sensed Willow's love for Pokemon, and chose him. It connected to his heart.

Maple had no idea what to do from that point, so they'd returned to the island and continued with the conference without telling a soul. No one would believe them if they said anything. Heck, he wouldn't believe him, and he was there. His best friend had captured and bound his heart to the Legendary Guardian.

Professor Maple drew himself out of the memory that lasted mere seconds in his mind. “Balls, I thought we'd have more time. It's only been a year.”

“That's why I need your help. Think you can get here by tomorrow morning?”

“You mean later this morning,” he grumped. “It's a four hour trip, Will.”

“Traffic shouldn't be a problem.”

He groaned. “Fine. Yes. Just have a bed, your biggest pot of coffee, and your hottest researcher on hand when I get there.”

“No promises on the researcher.” Professor Willow smirked. It was easy to see where Spark picked up a lot of his mannerisms and habits just by talking to the eclectic professor. 

“How's the kid, anyway?”

“He's testing every single patience button I have.” 

Maple laughed. “Good.” He picked up the Raichu, set it down on the couch, and moved back to his room to get packed. “Don't tell him. I want to surprise him. See you in a few.” He hung up and stretched. “Come on, Sassy Cheeks. Road trip.”

“Raaaaaaiiiiicchhhhuuuuuuu.” It flopped lazily over onto the floor face down with a muted 'foomp.' 

Better protesting the disapproval of leaving before sunrise didn't exist. “Tell me about it.” He went into Spark's old room just to see if the kid might want anything he'd left behind. After that, he grabbed his music player along with everything he'd need. This trip demanded some serious car-karaoke.

* * * *  
Blanche checked Medical first. Nurse Joy's Chansey handed her a Butterfree with a bandage around it in a 'hold this, please' manner. Surprised to be put on random watch duty, Blanche waited for the Chansey to return, give the Butterfree a little of the egg it is pouch, then took it back. Apparently, it needed the bed the Butterfree had occupied, and Blanche was the perfect temporary set of arms to hold it until the Chansey returned. It then gave the little Pokemon back to Sam, the young Instinct Trainer. 

She caught Professor Tachikawa as the tired researcher walked by with a muffin tray of pokeballs. “Professor. I'm looking for Spark. Have you seen him?”

“Oh, hello, Blanche. He's in room 4.” 

“I'll show you. Come on,” Sam volunteered. The ten-year-old walked down the hall with pride that he knew the way, and could lead the Mystic leader.

She followed, aware of Sam's confidence. She knew this area inside and out, but he didn't need to know that. 

The two walked through the maze of injured, sleeping, and resting Pokemon and Humans. Two Team Rocket members kept to themselves away from judgmental eyes. Their Pokemon were still too injured to leave. While here, Nurse Joy had made it clear that there were no rivals in her medical center; only patients. 

Sam lead her to the back of Medical, and into room 4. Sure enough, she found her roommate and his Pikachu patching up Ai and her Oddish –the same one Spark had saved in the forest. It chose to stay with the little girl. 

“Hello, nurse. Come to give me a hand, or stand there looking beautiful?”

Yup, he was back to normal. She folded her arms. “It's a good thing you're already in Medical.” 

Ai chuckled. 

Blanche stepped up next to Ai's bed and handed him the datapad. “Here. I thought you'd might like the know the results of the tests.” 

“To see how truly screwed up I am? Cool.” He accepted it and put it in his jacket pocket. He was about to launch into a joke about complicated words this late at night, but her expression told him that wouldn't be a bright decision. In fact, he knew why she gave him the 'scowl of death.' “You're smad at me, aren't you, huh,” he said with the shame of a child confessing a crime to their parents.

“Huh?” She arched an eyebrow.

“Mad and Sad. You're Smad at me.”

“That's not a word, Spark.”

“It was as of last week.”

“That was a word search, not an actual thing.”

“But I'm right, right?”

“No, you're...I'm,” she paused, looking to the two kids, and smiled a little. “Smupset.”

This time it was hit turn to be confused, then he laughed. “Well, I'll give you credit for trying.” 

She saw him hold out his hand to his Pikachu, who slapped his palm in showmanship. “Low Five, Zipper. I told you I'd get her to agree.”

“Pika!”

The two childrens' giggles melted away a little of her annoyance. 

Spark ruffled the leaves on the Oddish' head, then did the same to Ai's hair. “Get some rest, ok you guys? You did a good job today.” 

“Ok,” Ai nodded, kicking her feet. “G'night, Leader. You were amazing.”

Sam pushed her shoulder. “Hero worship,” he wheedled. 

She him him back. “Shut up, Sam!”

He and Blanche left the the two kids and their Pokemon to recover, and wandered out of Medical. 

“I've been wondering something,” Blanche began. She hesitated, thinking back to her conversation earlier with Professor Willow and his slip-up about Spark. It kick-started her curiosity about her friend's history. Once that switch flipped on in her mind, it would stay on until she was sated. She wanted to know what he was hiding, but she had to get there in a stealthy manner—and that meant utilizing minute bits of information to piece it together. “Why do you give your Pokemon odd names?”

“You're asking me this after we just started the 'name approval' system? Really? Have you seen the paperwork? Some of those names are gold. 'Donglord' is the best one so far.” 

She worried her temples. “Please don't remind me. I just want to know from you.”

She'd never bothered to show an interest in anything about him, so this was unexpected. Still, he thought she might be trying to open up. “Well, I usually just pick whatever comes to mind and feels right for that. I caught Ai as an Eevee in an Indigo dye house a few years ago, so her name is Ai. Velcro wouldn't leave me and Zipper alone at a power plant. Yoyo... Come on, look at it. That Electrode can explode anytime it wants, and it just looks like a Yoyo. Eddie wasn't named by me. My uncle got to that Electabuzz first. He said the V marking on its head reminded him of an old friend with eyebrows like that.”

“What about Zipper? What's his story?” 

“You're pretty curious. Any reason? Maybe you actually like me?”

“You're my roommate. Call it natural interest. I'm making an effort.”

Spark let the little Pikachu up onto his shoulder. His own efforts to become her friend might be paying off. “I was a little over ten. I was outside in the hills behind my house when I heard fighting, so I ran to see what it was and saw a Pichu and a Bulbasaur attacking each other. Actually, it was more a one-sided fight with the Pichu on the losing end. I wanted to stop the fight, so I kept throwing sticks at the Bulbasaur to get it to go away. I didn't want to hurt it, just scare it off, ya know?”

“Not a very bright move.”

His eyes narrowed. “I was ten, Blanche. Ten.”

She shrugged in acceptance. She'd done her fair share of juvenile, thoughtless antics. “Go on.”

“The Bulbasaur got mad, and hit me with vine whip. The Pichu got in the way of its attacks and got hit instead of me the next few times. The Bulbasaur left once it won the fight. I was bleeding, but I was more worried about the Pichu that myself. It was badly injured, and wasn't moving. I didn't have any pokeballs to catch it with, but I couldn’t leave it out there alone and hurt. I'd thought about getting Uncle Maple to help, but thought something might happen to it during the time I was gone, so I took it home. I knew a wounded Pichu could still shock me without warning, but I had to take the risk.”

Blanche listened. That sounded like something Spark would do. 

“I zipped it up in my hoodie to carry it back. On the way, I started hearing the scratching sound of the hoodie's zipper against the teeth. When I looked down, the Pichu was playing with the metal tab. I realized that it was keeping its mind off of its injuries, and keeping it calm, which it needed. It was pretty fast on its feet, and it liked zippers, so, 'Zipper' seemed like a perfect name for him. I listened to that sound all the way home. It turned out to be true. Every zipper he came across after that, he had to play with. It's like his version of that little rubber thing that stops doors from hitting the wall and goes 'tttthhhwwwuuunngg!' when you flick it.”

“...A door stopper?”

“Yeah, that thing.” Spark chuckled, aware that his mind was suffering from fatigue and ordinary things were becoming funny. “We became friends after that day. Been inseparable ever since.”

“So, Zipper is your first Pokemon?”

Spark nodded, as did the Pikachu, trying to say this was his first Human. 

Blanche stopped and let her imagination play that story. “That's actually very touching.” 

What he kept to himself, for now, was that finding Zipper had started his vocal recovery. When Professor Maple had said they should take the Pichu to the the nearest Pokemon Center to get it healed up and then let it go, Spark opened his mouth, wanting badly to protest, and honestly... _tried_. Instead of the usual squeaks and breaths, came actual words. It was the first time he'd heard his own voice in a year. 'Its name is Zipper. Can I keep it?' 

Professor Maple had been struck with shock so potent, that he could only stare at the small boy and the Pichu for a good minute before answering. Spark had lived with him for eleven months. Before then, he'd lived with Lieutenant Surge for one month. All that time, the boy remained silent. He'd hugged Spark and the Pichu tightly and said, 'Absolutely.' Then instantly regretted his decision when the Pichu got scared and zapped them both with Nuzzle.

“Yeah, he's family.” Spark rubbed the Pikachu's head between his ears. He split off down another hall toward the labs. “Lates. Thanks for the loan, Blanche. I owe you one.” he waved, and pushed open the door to her lab—the one she'd given him permission to use. 

Family.. Professor Willow had said he treasured everyone he let into his life. Perhaps his secret had to do with family. It seemed to be a theme today. 

She yawned. The night finally caught up to her. Maybe a few hours of sleep would do her some good. She went back to the Professor's lab to retrieve her still slumbering Vaporeon, and went upstairs to bed.

* * * *  
The next morning, at 8am, Blanche left her normal outfit in the laundry since it was blood-splotched and filthy, and instead went for a relaxed oversized gray floppy sweater over a pair of lazy shorts and flip flops. She'd coiled her long hair up in a loose bun. This morning, she didn't really care about appearances...for now. Candela was snoring in her room. She didn't know what time her roommate finally came home, so she made sure not to make a lot of noise when she left the 3rd floor living quarters. Spark hadn't come back to the apartment, so logic dictated he would be in the lab working on his project. 

She took a plate of waffles and a cup of coffee to her lab. She knew the following conversation would take place as soon as all three were conscious together again:

'I'm going to create a tougher battle training regimen,' Candela would proclaim to everyone in the cafeteria.

'I'll make sure the Trainers have a way to call us for help through the GO application on their pokedex.' She, herself, would say. She already had plans for that building in her mind. And Spark...

'I'll...! ... Do something... ...amazeballs!' 

The door scratched softly along its tracks as she slid it open. Her jaw slacked at what greeted her. Horror. Pure, absolute, horror. 

PokeTarts, torn silver cellophane wrappers, Cheeze-Bitz, and a Styrofoam cup of water littered her desk. Her once clean, pristine, highly organized workstation now resembled the home of a pack-Ratatta. Crumbs were strewn everywhere. 

Spark himself was asleep with his head resting on his right arm. Zipper made himself a curled up yellow and black fuzzball in Spark's jacket on the desk. 

A muscle in her cheek twitched. She'd lent him her personal space out of good will, and he'd turned it into his personal trash can. She bit her lip, clenching her fingers against the plate and coffee cup in her hands. She marched up to her desk, roughly set the food down, and reached out to shake him awake, but stopped. The content on the computer screen snared her interest. 

This was his video. He'd been working on it all night, and must have passed out from exhaustion when the events of yesterday finally caught up to him. He might even sleep for the whole day if left undisturbed. 

She watched him breathing softly, eyes closed, and completely at peace. He looked harmless and not annoying while he slept. She'd forgotten about that. One of the first thoughts to cross her mind the first time she'd found him crashed out on the common room couch of their apartment was to protect him, though she didn't know why. He wasn't helpless. He was strong, caring, intuitive, and had proven that he could take care of himself and others. His intuition was so spot on sometimes, she wondered if he might be slightly psychic. Yet even with these attributes, she still felt like she needed to protect him.

She turned her attention back to the screen. Intrigued by what he'd decided on, she smoothly moved the cursor over to the volume option to turn it down, then clicked the 'play' button on the video editing software. Spark's visage and voice played quietly through the small window next to the edit options. 

“Hey, I'm Spark, the leader of Team Instinct. Congrats on reaching level five! You are about to join an epic adventure of rivalry, friendships, and battles! We are limitless, made of amazeballs, and boundryless like sky commas. This,” he picked up an green-spotted white egg the size of his abdomen, “is where it all begins. I mean, well, yeah, of course, but not just literally with eggs—but that is a thing, and we do work a lot with eggs, so be ready for that—but more like a metaphor for everything. You have to start somewhere; Mystic, Valor... everybody has a beginning, including Pokemon.”

The video switched to clips of trainers from his cell phone footage (which he managed to recover), scenes taken from the Center's security cameras of the gym battle, and trainers of all teams working together to defeat Team Rocket. It showed Trainers helping each other and their Pokemon. 

“My mentor told me once that the way you carry the stuff that happens to you makes up a new 'you.' And that is what you leave behind in the people you meet. You can still be brave like Valor, and calm like Mystic and still be on my team. The key to success is following your instincts, and believing in yourself and your Pokemon. Work hard, and trust that things will work out ok.” 

The last clip showed a valiant, brilliant display of Moltres, Articuno, and Zapdos using their abilities in the final rush of battle—the one that she and Spark missed because they were under water at the time in the middle that clusterbomb. Her jaw slacked. It really did look spectacular.  
The scene switched back to the Incubation room. This time, he held a pokeball instead of an egg. “Pokemon are creatures with excellent intuition.” Zipper bounced up onto his shoulders. “I bet the secret to their intuition is related to how they're hatched. Come and join my team. You never lose when you trust your instinct!” He closed his introduction video the best and only way a Master of Instinct should; with a epic dab-salute. 

His face filled the frame when he moved in close to turn off the camera. “Is this recording? Where's the... oh! Haha. Heh. I got it.” He grinned, and the video cut. A green cube appeared in the center of the screen in wait for a replay or for its creator to add other edits. 

Blanche clicked 'save' just in case the 'creator' had forgotten to do so when he fell asleep. 

At the end, she smiled. She pulled a neatly folded blue blanket from a bottom drawer, draped it over his shoulders, ruffled his hair softly, and whispered, “It's perfect.” 

 

\----  
THE END.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((Thank you everyone for sticking with me and this story. It's been fun. I've greatly enjoyed the journey of creating a home and a voice for the characters of Pokemon GO. Being able to give life to something with a sugar-cookie existence was...amazing. We barely had anything from Niantic when I started this at the first of August (posted on the 11th after writing the first couple chapters.). We had caricatures and brief paragraph of what the teams are about. That's it. Everything else was left up to the fans to give these sugar-cookie characters a holiday with icing and meaning. i know I keep saying it's amazing, but it's..... amazing. :) 
> 
> I really feel like these characters are close to me, now. Any writer will tell you that in order to truly bring something to life, you have to get into the heads of your characters, to think as they would, react as they would, and thus be able to correctly convey that character's personality to the readers. Pokemon GO is now my favorite, because I feel so invested in these characters. I know everything in here in fan created, but the feeling is still real. Again, as any writer of fan fiction or fiction. I feel the same way about the characters in my own original novels. 
> 
> Again, my most humble thanks to the readers. It's because of you that I was able to find the power the continue this. There may or may not be an epilogue to come. We'll see if the stars line up for that to happen.
> 
> Please ask me any questions in the comments. I welcome them. :) ))
> 
> *TEAM INSTINCT DAB!!*


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